It's Time to Begin
by wixley-kryptonese
Summary: {Part One: Imagine Dragons} interdimensional travel, Lady Loki, reincarnated children, Bucky Barnes, young!Avengers, pets and some serious domesticness.
1. Chapter 1

Interdimensional travel. Loki finally figured it out – and better, she figured out how to use it without a large power drain, or any finesse. All she had to do was step _sideways_ rather than _forwards_ , like she did whenever she teleported. Simple. Too simple. It was why she hadn't done it before – because she'd always thought she needed _more_ , more power, more steps, more _everything_.

Of course, stepping sideways and then finding herself on _Midguard_ , of all worlds, was unexpected.

She knew she'd travelled to a different reality though, because of many things. The first and most prominent difference was the magic – the magic that shied away from her, leaving her in a void that reminded her too much of the dark abyss into which she had fallen to be comfortable. But she was patient, and she stood there for Odin knew how long, slipping into a meditative trance that forced the conscious part of her magic to sleep, the magic of this world eventually becoming curious and brave enough to investigate her. Before too long, Loki was immersed in it, the magic humming and singing as it sunk into her veins, and when her magic awoke from its partial slumber, it let the foreign energy stay, bonding with it and more securely tying it to Loki's existence in this reality.

Soon though, Loki was centred, and the second obvious difference was the fact that she _was_ on Midguard, yet knew that her position hadn't changed. It seemed, in this reality, things weren't exactly in the same place. The third thing that made Loki assured that she wasn't in her original reality?

That no longer was she bound by the Chains of Odin.

They had been around her wrists for so long, the manacles attached to golden links, that even her pale skin discoloured. Three hundred years, she had been imprisoned beneath the palace. Slipping _sideways_ out of her reality was the only way to escape the Chains – they would follow her everywhere, for eternity, unless Odin removed them, but _only_ in the reality that _he_ was in. Unless he followed her, or she returned, Loki was free of them.

Rubbing her wrists, Loki slowly walked from the spot where she stood, eyes roving the countryside she'd appeared in. It was dark, and green – fields full of water and limp reeds filled an entire valley, built-up dirt roads making a grid between them all, a small settlement built up the side of a mountain. A worrying factor was the fact that several, if not all of the buildings were on fire, the wind blowing the distinct scent of copper, of blood, right into her face. Loki took the road, increasing her pace as she headed in its direction, changing into the form of an Asgardian wolf as she saw Midguardian vehicles heading towards it. But changing form just made her run faster, as her canine hearing caught the distinct cries of a child. Loki had always loved children, had loved _her_ children, before they were taken. She would find and protect this child, she swore.

And her lupine sight saw the SHIELD logos on the Midguardian vehicles far more easily than she could in her Aesir form – her protective instincts only strengthened at the vision placed in front of her. SHIELD meant defeat, and Loki was determined to find this child, to help them. Her existence was purposeless. She would not let them take over her first oath in her new life.

Within minutes, Loki was prowling through the village, heading to where she could hear the child bawling beneath a blanket, the Midguardians' hearing obviously too dull to pick it up as an entire squadron passed the gap between houses, where the child was hidden. Loki became Aesir once more, crouching beside the dead body of the man, reaching over to lift the wailing babe from his limp arms, pulling her blanket – the babe was female, the goddess was confident in that assessment, but her age was a mystery – tight around her, shielding her from the cold before glamouring them both, hiding them from sight as she stepped around the body, walking swiftly to the other exit of the small alley, as SHIELD Agents filtered through the other, finally.

Escaping the village after, even with the babe, was childsplay.

Shortly, however, she had to stop, as the child was hungry. Loki didn't mind manipulating her body to produce sustenance – she wasn't ashamed to look after another's young one. Luckily it didn't take long before the child fell asleep, sated and full, and Loki reached out to her with her magic, trying to discover anything that might be of help.

What she _did_ find was interesting indeed.

"Kree…" Loki hummed before wrapping her up again, tilting her head before holding the young child – very young, only a few months old at best – close and shutting her eyes, concentrating on her magic. It would take her somewhere safe, it always did…

A few seconds later, she felt the shift, and took a single moment to wrap the little girl in her power before letting the rest of it transport her. The journey took both a second and an eon, and when she opened her eyes, she was at the edge of a treeline, in a land that was utterly _drenched_ in protective magic. Loki struggled to take it in for a second, wondering why in Odin's name- _what_ in Odin's name the magic was hiding. Someone had gone overboard in their attempts to secure whatever they were hiding. _Too much_ , Loki thought to herself, glancing down as the girl wriggled. Loki chuckled.

"Barely a few hours around me and you are sensitive to magic…" her mouth twisted into a small, bitter smile. Memories of newly born babes crossed her mind, images of desecrated blue flesh, a soft midnight pelt, flaky silver scales, curly forelocks, auburn hair and matted grey fur covered in blood, and blue eyes weeping blood scarring her again and again. Her heart panged, aching. Magic was neither inherently good nor inherently bad, but children were too new of creations to be around it. Their souls, bodies, were too fresh, changeable. Loki only hoped that the girl would not be effected. Hopefully her Kree heritage, when triggered, would wipe what Loki's magic had already done to her.

Looking around again, pulling herself together, Loki slowly walked out from the treeline, placing an illusion over her clothes as she did. A second later it slithered off, and Loki winced at how rusty she was. Another go, and she had it on, Aesir garb glamoured to look like a Midguardian suit, jacket neatly buttoned over a black tie and green shirt, cuffs buttoned tightly. Likewise, she glamoured the girl, darkening her brown fluff to a midnight black like her own, scrappy blanket becoming a lush, thick blanket. _No need for anyone to think me cheap,_ Loki grimaced, before once more looking out on wherever she was.

Her first thought was that the neighbourhood she stood in was plain – all the houses were the same. They were shaped the same, painted the same, Norns, their _flowers_ were even the same. Loki forced herself not to curl her fingers, as she usually would, aware of the girl in her arms. It would not do to hurt her. Walking up the perfect pavement, eyeing the disturbingly straight lines where grass met concrete with trepidation, Loki followed a tug that she could feel on her magic that led her right to the centre of the magical protections. It was childsplay to send out magical seekers, discovering the existence of five mortals – two with no magic to speak of, two with only a single spark too small to ever be harnessed, and one filled to the brim with the new, strange magic of this Midguard, but connected to the defensive magics and wrapped in bindings so fierce Loki felt nauseous for a moment.

Pressing the doorbell, Loki waited an appropriate amount of time before ringing again. Soon, her hearing picked up one of the magicless mortals heavy form walking across the upstairs landing, then thumping down the stairs, opening the door with a glare. The man immediately went to speak, before Loki snapped up her hand, silencing him.

"You will let me in and provide shelter, or face the wrath of a God, mortal," she sneered at him as his skin changed colour, reddening before he tried to slam the door. Loki caught it with ease, tilting her head. "Would you rather I control your mind, or torture your family until you agree to do as I say?" She removed the silencing magic, the man now quivering and pale.

"D-d-don't you dare th-threaten them," he gasped, voice high, "y-you stupid _freak._ " She saw his eyes flicker down to the baby in her spare arm, hate filling them even more. Loki pushed the door open, at the same time pushing the man away before stepping inside, grimacing at the hideous décor.

"What is your name, mortal?" She questioned as she entered his living room, frowning at all the pictures of who could only be the man's son.

"That- that is none of your business," the man spluttered, before shutting the door, locking it. "I do not want you in my house!"

"Too bad," Loki drawled, before settling on the cleanest of the sofas and checking on the babe again – she was sleeping peacefully. Loki smiled slightly, stroking her little nose gently. "You are beautiful, yes you are." Humming, Loki looked at the man pleasantly. "Where am I? What country is this?"

"Britain," he stared at her, fists clenched. Loki nodded, remembering what little geography and history of Midguard she had learnt during her sojourns there. Britain was the tiny island that once controlled an Empire spanning the entire planet, if Hawkeye was correct. Loki went to order the mortal to get her a meal, when a door creaked open loud enough even for the mortal to hear. She watched as he turned, immediately becoming even more angry than he was before, stomping out of the doorway.

"What are you doing, boy? You should be asleep!" He whisper-shouted, before there was the sound of flesh on flesh. Loki was up and out of the room in a moment, pulling the mortal away from the boy in his grasp, who dropped to the floor. Loki snarled.

"Do not harm him," she glared with a ferocity that made elder warriors tremble in fear, before turning back to the boy, who stared. Loki crouched slowly, holding out her free hand. "Come here." His eyes flickered to behind her. Loki barely glanced at the mortal man, using her magic to freeze him in place, silencing him once again. "What is your name, child?"

"Harry," he whispered, "Harry Potter."

Loki caught sight of the _Sowilo_ on his forehead, peeking out from behind ink-black strands of scruffy hair and sniffed, realising why her magic had brought her here. "A commoner's name. Where I come from, your name would not be so paltry, not if your father had named you. I would ask if you would object to a different name if another belonged to you." She didn't wait for him to answer, reaching out with her magic, aiming to do the same as she did to the babe in her arms. It was an old trick, but one that needed a lot of power. Loki had power in droves though – reading Souls was a practiced action that she had done too many times to count.

Unlike when she had reached out to the girl though, when she came into contact with the boy's soul, a variety of information streamed through her. Loki was immediately repulsed by the sliver of soul attached to him, only kept at bay by _Sowilo_ , so reached out another sliver of magic, detaching it and forcibly pushing it away to where it was meant to go. The boy made a pained noise, before Loki reached further with her hand, stroking his head, pressing soothing magic against him.

It was the ease of its acceptance that tipped Loki off to the deeper issue.

Frowning lightly, Loki completely lowered herself to the ground, carefully placing the baby girl on the floor in front of her, reaching two hands to the young boy's head, delving her fingers into his hair, holding tight as he went to move away.

"Hold still, child – there is something…" she trailed off as her magic came across it. Her eyes widened, shock reverberating through her. "No…"

"What is it?" The boy asked. Loki held his head tighter, before letting go completely. "What's the matter with me? Who are you? Why do you have a baby? What did you do to me? _How_ did you do it? How can Uncle Vernon be held up in the air without rope?"

Loki, still staggered, took a few seconds to process. "I…I am Loki, of Asgard and Jotunheim. I saved the girl from those that might harm her. I used magic to look at your soul, to discover what name that you had been given by Magic, and found a leech. I- I disposed of it."

"But magic isn't-"

Loki put a hand over his mouth before he could finish, eyes still wide. "Don't say it. Every time you do, a Vanir dies. It has always been this way, your planet symbiotic to Vanaheim, its people connected to those that are Vanir by blood." Harry's eyes widened in shock. Loki removed her hand.

"Really?"

"Yes," Loki whispered, before she stroked his cheek softly. _Vali, my Vali, my sweet one…_ Her eyes drifted to the room he had originally exited, and stilled. "Is that a cupboard?" She asked in an odd tone. The boy froze.

Picking up the baby girl again, Loki stood, going over and peering inside, hand making a fist. "This was your room." Emerald eyes locked on a piece of paper pinned to the wall, declaring that the cupboard was _hary's room_. "Why was this your room?" Harry didn't reply, and Loki was distracted from further questioning him as the second magic-less mortal got out of bed, floorboards creaking beneath their feet.

"Vernon, what's going on down there – it's four in the bloody morning!" Loki looked up the stairs as a large woman made her way down, glaring at Loki blearily. "Who are you? Vernon- agh!" She caught sight of the man hung in the air, motionless. "VERNON!" She screeched, and Loki could hear another adult waking – this one with a spark of magic thrumming in their heart.

"Marge? What's wrong?" A shrill voice called, and Loki looked down at Harry. Reincarnated he might be, but he was still her son – he was still _Vali Sigynson_. She would protect him.

She held out a hand.

"Let me take you from this place," the Goddess pleaded. "You will be safe, loved, cared for-"

"What did you do to Vernon?!" The fat woman interrupted, before a stick-thin woman rushed down to stand behind her, stopping still at the sight of the man floating in the air for all to see. Loki ignored them, crouching in front of Vali- Harry, and extending her hand further.

" _Please_ ," she begged. Harry stared at her hand, looking between the three panicking mortals, before practically lunging for her, wrapping his arms around her neck. Loki held him to her tightly, making sure not to bump the babe in her spare arm. "Thank-you, thank-you…"

"Who- who _are_ you?" The stick-thin woman choked out. Loki looked up to her, and for a moment the woman just stared, eyes filling with tears. "Lily?" She whispered, barely able to be heard. "Is that you?"

Loki wondered who Lily was, but she obviously meant something to this woman – and to Harry. _Is Lily his mother in this life?_ The thought had her throat closing up for a moment, in hatred and jealousy, before she nodded to the woman stiffly, who gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"I'll be taking my son now," she reached out with her magic to the woman for the barest instant, the briefest of seconds "-Tuney." The woman, Petunia, gripped the stairwell banister with white-knuckled fingers, before nodding frantically.

"I'm sorry, Lily, I'm so sorry-"

"I don't really want to know what you're sorry for, sister," Loki looked away, before releasing the man from her magic, causing him to tumble down on top of the other woman, who had been trying to pull him down. "This is goodbye."

"Please don't go," the woman pleaded, but the Goddess only stood tall, tugging Vali around to her back, using magic to prop him up in place so she could hold the babe without fault.

"Do not seek me out, do not try to find me, do not speak of me," Loki murmured, shutting her eyes as she placed the compulsions on each of the mortals. It wasn't as good as just wiping their memories, but she had no idea how much they'd need to forget when it came to Vali, and also, she didn't quite have enough refinement to mess with memories without a focus. "Vali, hold on tight to me and do not let go, whatever you do." Once again, she let her magic choose her destination, but made sure to take extra care in bringing the two children along with her.

A second later they appeared somewhere cold, and wet. Loki opened her eyes, keeping a hold on Vali as he shook in shock and surprise, looking around. They were in a city, with a cobbled street and dozens of shops and little cafes. With rain pelting them, Loki sought out somewhere they could stand until she got her bearings, sighting an awning only a few paces away. Dashing over, she got under it before letting Vali down, sitting in a convenient chair. Vali looked around, wide-eyed.

"Where are we?"

"I do not know," Loki replied, before checking on the babe. _I need to give her a name_. "Vali, what should I call her?" Vali didn't reply. "Vali- _Harry?_ " Vali looked over, brow furrowing.

"Why are you calling me Vali?"

"Because it is your name, of sorts…" Loki murmured awkwardly, biting the inside of her mouth. _Norns…_ "Imagine, once upon a time, a Goddess had a child – had many children, in fact – but because of who she was, and because of what her magic did to them in the womb, her father decreed they were abominations. He stole her children, killed them and banished them. Eventually, the Goddess became distraught beyond imagination, and when she next became pregnant, she hid herself away from all prying eyes but the father of her child. When the child was born, she named him Narfi, and raised him in safety in the forests where she hid with Sigyn at her side. Soon after, she found herself pregnant again, and when that child was born, she named him Vali."

Vali frowned. "Are you talking about yourself?" Loki raised an eyebrow at his words.

"You are very astute," she saw his confusion, and reiterated, "You are correct. I am telling you about myself."

"Why did you call yourself a Goddess then?"

"Because I am one," Loki raised her chin, "I am Loki, of Asgard and Jotunheim, former Queen of Asgard and Protector of the Nine Realms, Queen of Jotunheim – now abdicated; Lady Sorcerer of Asgard, Sorcerer of the Nine Realms; Goddess of Mischief, of Trickery, of Lies, of Chaos, of Fire, of Ice and of Fertility; shapeshifter; and mother of Jormungandr, Sleipnir, Hela, Fenrir, Narfi, Vali and Einmyria – and you are the reincarnation of my son Vali."

She could see the disbelief in his eyes – the confusion. He sat down, looking at the girl in her arms. "Is that Einmyria?"

"No," Loki glanced down, "I found her. I vowed to protect her." She didn't begrudge him for changing the subject. It was hard to believe, and he might need a second to process. "I have not given her a name, however, which is what spawned this conversation in the first place: do you have an idea?"

Vali glanced up at her through thin lashes, biting his lip, "How about something like Einmyria? Like, Ailsa?"

"Ailsa…" Loki frowned lightly, glancing down at the babe's soft face, "No, not Ailsa, though I like the idea about something close to Einmyria – my children always usually came in pairs. Jormungandr and Sleipnir were probably the most independent. Hela and Fenrir were born close together – Hela used to like curling up with him on my lap. Einmyria…" she trailed off, stroking the girl's cheek lightly. "Einmyria is my youngest child. I had her barely a century ago. She would still be young, unless Odin cursed her."

"A _century?_ " Vali's jaw dropped, "But that's- that's _impossible!_ "

Loki smiled, shifting the girl on her lap, "Not so. I am Aesir – or rather, Jotun, which would extend my lifespan even further. Aesir, on average, life six thousand years. The Allfather and many from the Old Guard though, are far older, some nine thousand, eight thousand – Mimir the Wise, the Allfather's maternal uncle, is the oldest being I know of, at _seventeen_ thousand years." Vali seemed awed.

"How old are you then?"

Loki smiled slyly, "It's rude to ask a lady her age, son of mine, but since you are that, I will answer – I am young by Aesir standards, only two and a half thousand. I believe on Midguard, it would equate to…twenty? Twenty-three?" She expected more awe, but was surprised to find him frowning.

"Are you that age in your head, too?" Loki frowned back at him, but shrugged lightly, watching him.

"Why?"

Vali looked down, obviously thinking. Loki let him, forever patient when it came to her children.

"…When did you have Jormungandr? How old were you? Like, how old were you _actually_ , not just an estimate?" He narrowed his eyes, looking at her with squinty eyes.

Loki blinked, "Why?" Vali didn't answer, still squinting at her. "Well, I must have been…one thousand and three hundred-something. I was close to one thousand, four hundred, I believe. I had Sleipnir mere decades later – I know I was one thousand, four hundred and twenty-five," she thought back, grimacing bitterly, "The Wall of Asgard was finished on that year as a gift. It was my mother's birthday. She had reached her five thousandth year."

"I have a grandma?"

Loki glanced at her son, who seemed a little lost now. Swallowing, Loki shook her head, looking down.

"My mother died a few centuries ago, sweet one." Feeling a tug on her magic, Loki glanced up and to her left, catching sight of a window. **TO LET**. She did not know what it meant, but her magic had never led her wrong before, when she deigned to pay attention to it. Standing, she reached for Vali's hand, the boy taking it after staring for a second. Walking across the street, Loki used magic to open a door, going inside and locking it behind them, before using the set of stairs to go up to where another door waited. Another burst of magic had it open, showing a moderately furnished living room and kitchen.

"Is this your flat?" Vali questioned, and Loki filed the word away in her internal dictionary of Midguardian vocabulary – _flat, another word for home?_ – before shrugging. "…Did we just break in?"

"Technically," Loki shrugged again, letting go of Vali's hand before putting her own out, waving it slowly, and turning in a circle as she let her magic attach itself to the walls, sinking into the foundations of the building. It would protect their new dwelling from intruders, and those that would seek to rob or evict them, though until she put up a more systematic set of wards, they wouldn't be totally safe.

When she was done, Loki found Vali had disappeared. "Vali?"

"In here," came his muffled reply. Loki walked towards where he was standing, standing in a doorframe. Vali had found a room with a small bed – presumably only able to fit one adult Midguardian – and some other small pieces of furniture. Unfortunately, the bed was only a frame, but Vali didn't seem to mind. "Will this be your room?" He questioned.

Loki didn't reply, only turning and walking towards the other doors, each in turn. The dwelling turned out to have four bedrooms – one with the frame of a bed double the size of the one Vali had discovered – and one bathroom. Everything in the 'flat' was white and plain, but had copious amounts of what Vali soon identified as 'power sockets, for lamps and kettles and tellies'. Loki assumed they were Midguardian appliances.

"Vali, the room you first found may be yours, if you wish it. I will share the larger room with this one," she glanced down at the baby girl, "who we never did get around to naming."

Vali put his hands behind his back, standing perfectly still as he thought, "You didn't like Ailsa."

"No," Loki shook her head. "Maybe something similar though. Without an L."

"Aisa?" Vali questioned, and something in Loki was struck.

"Aisa…Aisa, Aisa, Aisa…nearly, just about…"

"Eisa?" He questioned, pronouncing it, instead of _eh-sa_ , _eye-zah._

Loki hummed, smiling slightly. "Yes, perfect, Vali. Eisa – it means embers. Einmyria meant ashes, appropriate considering that her father was a Fire Demon by the name of Gludt. Einmyria, when she was born, I don't know if it was me or my magic, but her body couldn't handle…herself. I was almost grateful that Odin took her, in the end. She went through so much pain…whatever he did to her, it would be at least better than life."

"He killed her?"

"I don't know," Loki stroked her soft cheek again. "But Eisa here will go through a transformation, eventually. She is descended from a people I had long thought extinct. She will gain powers – what powers, I do not know, but they will be a gift. But I can teach her control, before she gains them, by teaching her magic, like I will be doing with you."

"Me? I have- I have _magic?_ " He asked in a hush. Loki smiled widely at him, stepping forwards and kissing his forehead.

"You are so powerful, my darling, and it will be an honour to teach you how to harness your magic, sweet one." Vali flushed, trying to hide a smile. "But it is early in the morning, and my appearance at your former home woke you from slumber." She took his hand, leading him through to the sitting room, stopping by the couch. "Would you object to sleeping here, with your new sister, until I return? I will not be too long, I promise – I will be going in and out, to gain new pieces of furniture and suchlike."

Vali glanced at Eisa, looking nervous. "What do I have to do?"

"Lie down, face the back," she instructed, and he did as he was told. Loki leant over, placing the sleeping babe in the gap he left, wrapping his arms around her comfortably. "There. Will you be good there?" She removed the illusions, finally, before taking off her shirt from under her tunic with a bit of manoeuvring, draping it over them both. Vali clutched it with spare fingers, nodding. Pressing another kiss to his head, Loki smiled softly before using her magic to guide her away.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take long for them to settle into a routine. Loki didn't need a lot of sleep, so wasn't bothered by Eisa waking at all hours, but made sure Vali went to bed and woke up at specific times – bedtime was eight pm, and waking-up time was six am. She would make him a small breakfast of toast and fruit before sending him off to the swimming pool, only a few streets away. Once Loki had discovered their location, she hadn't wasted time in getting to know the regulations of 'Edinburgh' regarding children. Vali unfortunately did have to be enrolled into primary school under the name 'Harry Potter', but he didn't seem to mind.

After he returned from swimming an hour later, he would have a small cooked breakfast of eggs, sausages, chicken, ham, some sort of fruit and chocolate grain bar, along with a concoction that Midguardians called a 'smoothie', made, of course, with healthy ingredients such as fruit and vegetables. Vali had at first been daunted by it all, but after a few weeks, it was just another morning.

When he had finished, usually they spent a short amount of time together as a trio, playing with Eisa and helping her with her skills in walking and talking. Then Vali would verbally revise his mathematics skills for Loki to hear, so he could get it stuck in his head. If he was ever stuck, Loki could prompt or fill him in. Then Vali would leave for school, using the bike that Loki had employed a Midguardian teenager to teach him how to use, so he could get to school early and sit in the library, where he would study for his weekly project that Loki would set him, to keep his mind active.

While Vali was at school, Loki would obviously spend time with Eisa – but after some time, Loki became bored. Parenthood was a dream for her, but even dreams got old. So, during the morning – and sometimes afternoon – she would drop Eisa off to 'crèche', and then Loki would go to college.

Loki used magic to provide for them, conjuring money out of thin air to pay for their rent and buy food at local supermarkets, but it was slightly fulfilling to learn a trade. College in Scotland, unlike in America, wasn't full-out University – it was made up of 'modules' and 'courses' that tallied up to give you diplomas and suchlike. Loki, after setting up an identity a few months into her stay on Midguard, called herself 'home-schooled' and set up a time to take various examinations for 'Standard Grade' and 'Intermediate 1' and 'Intermediate 2' and Higher and Advanced Higher – after thousands of years a princess, she'd had enough education to revise and then ease through her exams without even stressing over anything but the time constraints.

Then, of course, she was easily eligible for University, but she didn't want to have to give up too much time with two children to care for. So, college. After dropping Eisa off, Loki would go to college to study psychology and modules on French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Urdu, English Literature and Latin and Greek Mythology. All together, they made up two hundred and forty points worth of education – two diplomas. It took a surprising amount of her time, but as Loki didn't need to sleep on the regular, it was all good.

Not to mention, French, Spanish and Italian were _ridiculously_ similar.

After college – or before college, if she had classes in the afternoon – she would look after Eisa for a couple of hours, in which she took the chance to visit sights around the country. With her magic, transportation was easy, and Eisa – to her utter surprise and delight – hadn't been effected by it. In fact, she _thrived_ , that small spark that Loki had planned to nurture as Eisa grew expanding and crackling along her veins in a way that echoed Vali.

And as for Vali's magic, well – Loki had been tutoring him after dinner. When he got home from school, he'd eat his afternoon tea and then go to either his rock climbing club, trampolining or his judo club at four, and then after, either his gymnastics and parkour club, fencing or youth club at quarter past five. When he got home after that, Loki would serve him his dinner – unless he had dinner at the youth club, but if he had, he'd be later in any case and would have to wait until before bed to have an extra-large supper if he missed it – and then spend half an hour teaching him how to grasp his magic and channel it into mundane tricks, such as shaping smoke and bringing back life to wilting flowers. His magic was powerful – more powerful than Loki's had at his age, even when comparing Midguardian to Jotun – and Loki couldn't wait until he was old enough, mature enough, to do more with it.

On weekends, things were obviously different, but not by much. For one, Vali could sleep in until seven, rather than six, and would have his two breakfasts together, but he had to spend two hours at the swimming pool, from eight till ten o'clock, before Loki would pick him up and take him to a café somewhere outside of Edinburgh for elevensies. Afterwards, they'd wander around town, sometimes going to a park, or taking a trip to another city in Britain – she learnt the lesson of taking him abroad when they went to Italy and Vali got a mosquito bite right on his cheek, that swelled up so large that literally _everyone_ at his school and clubs were asking what happened.

The afternoon was Vali's free time, which he could spend with friends, doing whatever he liked – Loki made sure he always got a measure on Saturday, too. She wasn't sure about other families, or if Midguardians in general gave measures to their children, but Loki was determined that Vali be raised her way now he was out of the hands of his aunt and uncle, so he got fifty pounds in his wallet at one thirty, after lunch was finished. Of course, Vali didn't always go out with his friends – sometimes he stayed home to spend time with her, or with Eisa.

Sundays were reserved solely for magic and family time. Sundays were Loki's favourites. She taught Vali how to fight like an Aesir then, with weapons and magic, renting out a practice gymnasium for them to use each and every week, if they weren't playing chess or improving Eisa's vocabulary, or doing their homework for college and primary school respectively, together.

There came a point though, that things did change. Vali grew smarter, stronger, and quite literally, _grew_. He shot up like a root, balanced diet and activity-filled lifestyle doing wonders for combating the neglect from his so-called relatives. He also picked up habits – some good, some bad. Loki had a heart attack every time he did free-running and parkour tricks when they were out, and had sworn never to go inside the hall where he trained when she caught sight of him using a trampoline to run up ten metre-high walls, flipping and somersaulting eight metres in the air without so much as a warning.

Eisa herself began life as a toddler, an actual child rather than just a baby – going to nursery rather than crèche, dark brown hair reaching her shoulders rather than just being a tuft on top of her head. She moved to her own room, too, and Loki finally got her checked out by a doctor – with some fake papers – to find out how old she was, so they celebrated her first, then second, and then third birthdays on July 1st, a month before Vali's. He was eleven this year.

And then the letter came.

Vali – or rather, 'Harry' – had been invited to a school, where he would learn how to control his magic and return to the culture he was born into, in this life. Loki had corresponded with Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and professor dedicated to transformation magic, or 'Transfiguration', as she called it. The fact that they used owls to communicate irked Loki, reminding her too much of Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn, but she put up with it when Vali expressed an interest in it – in it all.

After hearing his thoughts on going to this 'Hogwarts' – " _You're my mum, in my last life and in this one, but I want to know Lily and James Potter too. This could be a way for me to…to connect, to find out what kind of people they were."_ – Loki agreed to let him go, provided he keep up all his mundane studies and his physical training. She wouldn't let him lose his skills when he'd spent so much time over the past two years gaining them. Hogwarts was supposed to be a castle – surely there's be somewhere inside, if not out on the grounds that he'd be able to practice. She even made him an enchanted dummy to be his partner for his judo and other various fighting skills, that he swore he'd use.

When that was all discussed, Loki wrote to McGonagall one last time, agreeing to let Vali attend, on the condition that she was allowed to visit on the weekends, and that someone show them where to buy supplies. McGonagall sent her own last letter, saying her request for weekend visits was unorthodox, but could be done, and that she'd have a teacher meet them later tomorrow, after noon, if that was acceptable.

So now the trio were waiting for this teacher to arrive. Loki was wearing what she normally would for a day out exploring – her black hide leggings, a dark green spaghetti-strap top, a black leather jacket and her Níðhöggr boots, hair braided to her scalp on either sides in rows of thirteen, a middle strip of hair pinned back and tied in with the ends of the scalp braids to make a large plait that sat over the rest of her hair, reaching her lower-back. Eisa was in a blue polka-dot dress – her favourite right now – and black slip-ons, dark hair braided like Loki's, if much more simply so as to not cause pain. Vali himself was wearing his school uniform, but without his usual dark grey pullover, navy blazer and matching navy and silver tie that showed which school he represented – rather, he was wearing a dark, forest green tie, his best rectangular glasses that he usually used when they went out to fancy restaurants with the gold-plated frames, and a new item of clothing that Loki didn't have a name for.

Plucking it lightly, she raised her eyebrow questioningly. Vali patted the spot for creases, unbuttoned ends fluttering slightly. "It's called a waist-coat. You can wear them with a suit jacket over the top."

Loki raised her chin in understanding, before looking out of the window again – only for a presence to suddenly appear beside Eisa. Loki didn't stop to think, reacting, magic flying out to meet them – but being stopped by a shield, of some kind. Loki stared.

There stood a man, looking at her curiously. He had shoulder-length hair in a much similar colour to her own, yet the oils and greases were obvious, as were the stains on his fingers. _A potions-master_ , Loki thought, stunned – she'd had no idea this world had the ingredients and components required for more than basic practices. It was probably the reason for his hair then – potion fumes that he wasn't able to wash away. His robes too, were reminiscent of a potions master's, but the style was obviously different from those on Asgard. Though she was confused as to why he held a stick.

"My apologies. I did not expect you to appear inside our home," Loki spoke cordially, with a hint of regret. The man nodded, before seeking out Vali, pausing at his appearance, before his eyes found Eisa, who was staring up at him.

"Is that a wand?" She asked in the kind of voice only a two and a half year old could, pointing. Loki's eyes widened.

"You use wands commercially? I thought they were just foci for the young ones."

The man turned his gaze on her, "And how else, might I ask, would you channel magic?"

"Through your hands?" Vali asked curiously. "That's how mum's been teaching me to do it – watch!" The man looked to Vali, who held up his hand, smoke appearing, taking the form of Eisa – the real Eisa giggling and running over, reaching up for it. Vali grinned at her, making the smoke-Eisa run off towards their TV. The real Eisa ran after it, but soon it lost its form, too far away from Vali to control.

"Impressive…" the man drawled, "But the kind of magic you will learn in Hogwarts requires a wand. Whatever that was, it wasn't real magic."

Vali and Loki both looked at him, affronted, "I have been using that kind of magic my entire life, wand-wielder – and I am vastly more powerful than my son, I warn you now." Loki glared lightly, before picking up Eisa and putting her on her hip. "But you are not here, in any case, to discuss our magic. Professor McGonagall said she'd send someone to guide us to the wizarding world. Might I have a name to put to a face?"

"Ladies first," he said coldly, unblinking. Loki had a feeling, in another world she might have liked this man, but those were the key words – _another world_. Right now, he was acting like a member of the Asgardian Court, all presumptuous and egoist.

"I am Loki Friggadottr, of Asgard and Jotunheim," she proclaimed proudly. "Who might you be?"

"Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master," he enunciated carefully, looking to Vali, "I will be one of your superiors at Hogwarts, and you shall show me the respect a student shows their teacher. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Vali nodded, smile gone. "Mum told me about how dangerous your class can be. I promise to try not to blow anything up, if I can help it." Loki felt a slight sense of smugness at that. _He recognised him as a potions master_. It was a moment of pride.

Snape, however, made a noise of distaste, before dismissing him, taking a circle of rope out of his pocket and holding it out. "This is a portkey. It's designed to groups of people to the same place. Hold on tightly." Loki put a hand out, taking it firmly, before murmuring to Eisa in Mandarin to grab it too. Vali took it without prompting. "Diagon Alley," Snape spoke clearly, and there was a moment, before the portkey glowed blue-

And then they were spinning, bodies flying through the air. When they landed, Loki had a hard time keeping her balance, and only her quick reflexes made sure Eisa didn't go tumbling to the ground. Vali himself had to implement a jump as he started falling backwards, landing in an unsteady crouch rather than on his back. Snape was the only one to stay standing.

Loki looked around.

"Why are we in a back-alley?" She questioned, slightly irate. Snape rolled his eyes, before turning to a plain brick wall and tapping it with his wand, tucking the rope in his pocket. A few seconds later, after a short sequence, the bricks started to turn, and Loki watched the runes on them all come to life. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before – intricate and complex, and…

 _Norns, I wish I was going to Hogwarts now._

The group entered the bustling alley that appeared, passing through the arch. Vali and Eisa had eyes for everything, while Snape watched as Loki turned and watched the wall with attentive eyes.

"It's simple magic."

"Simple?" Loki breathed, "If this is simple, then what is hard?" Snape gave her an odd look, before holding out a small purple sack to her. She took it, looking away from the arch, opening it up and taking out the small golden key. She gave Snape a questioning look.

"As you are magical, and obviously the guardian of Mr Potter, the over-seeing of his trust vault falls to you. When he is of age – seventeen – he will gain access to his father's family vaults, and Lily Potter's private vaults."

"Oh," Loki looked to Vali, holding out a hand to him. "Wallet." Vali took it out of his pocket, holding it out. Loki opened it up, pressing the key to the expensive leather. A few seconds later, the key sunk into the material. "Some blood, if you don't mind, sweet one," she murmured, and Vali grimaced before taking a tiny dagger from the inside of his waist-coat, cutting his finger. Loki smiled lightly at his preparation – she'd always told him to have one on him, hidden from mortal eyes – before holding out the wallet. He pressed his finger to the patch, which soaked up the blood until it disappeared.

"Call for your vault key," she handed the wallet back, Vali licking his finger before putting his palm over the place where it had disappeared to.

"Vault key." A second passed, before he held the key up for inspection. "What's the G stand for, sir?" He questioned Snape, who sneered.

"Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank. It's run by goblins. Never be rude, or insult them – you might get your head cut off." He gathered himself. "Follow me."

The rest of the day was better. After getting money, Snape pointed out the shops where they could get each item on Vali's school checklist, then left. He gave Loki the portkey so they could get back – "Say 'Harry Potter's residence' three times" – before smirking and swiftly disappearing into the crowd...

Of fans.

Everyone tried to shake Vali's hand, tried to thank him, and it took less than ten seconds for Loki to gain her composure – mostly because someone _dared_ push her out of the way, hitting Eisa on their way past.

" _ENOUGH!_ " She roared, pulling Vali into her chest and pushing everyone back with her magic. "What in the Norns' name are you all doing?"

"He defeated the Dark Lord!"

"He's the Boy-Who-Lived!"

Various more shouts came from the crowd, until someone questioned who she was – which was when the crowd obviously joined in on badgering her. Loki, glaring, gave Eisa to Vali, before standing tall.

"I am Loki, of Asgard, and if any of you touch my son _again_ , I will rip the magic from your blood before you can even _blink!_ " She hissed, before pushing out her hand and forcing a gap to appear in the crowd, pushing everyone out of the way for them to walk, Vali looking slightly embarrassed as he carried Eisa behind her.

Angry and confused, Loki led them to the one kind of place where she thought she could find answers: the book-shop. The trio spent the next hour there, combing the shelves, getting a menagerie of books, all of which that Loki transported to their flat, magic brimming at her fingertips, needing to be used. How _dare_ anyone lay a hand upon her son! Even if it _was_ to thank him, for something he couldn't have _possibly_ done himself, Loki would not put up with it.

However, being around books and pages yet to be turned calmed her slightly, and she was able to leave the show with Eisa in tow – Vali having already escaped to get the rest of his things, including one of those ghastly _wands_. They met up in the robe-shop, 'Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions', where Vali got his school uniform – and after a little begging, Eisa got her own Little Witches Day-Robe in deep maroon with gold accents, which she put on and refused to take off.

Madam Malkin seemed to find it amusing, "Such a shame you don't get to find out whether they have magic until they get their Hogwarts letter or they use accidental magic – it must have been a surprise to find out your foster-son was a wizard."

"No," Loki answered simply, "I have magic myself, as does Eisa. Vali simply has more than his sister – though I'll be judging whether or not she'll be attending if she does get a letter. I am going to wait until Vali returns home after some time there."

Madam Malkin frowned deeply, "His name is Harry."

"His name is Vali, but people call him Harry Potter," Loki corrected, before reaching for her bag of galleons. "How much?"

But Madam Malkin didn't seem to be interested in payment right then, "I don't know who you think you are, but names are important in our world – when he turns seventeen, Mr Potter will be Lord Potter, of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, and he will Sit at the Wizengamot."

Loki narrowed her eyes, before nodding, as if she already knew. "I am aware, but his name is still Vali – I took him in, adopted him. He bears my name with pride. In official settings, I know he is Harry Potter – I do not deny that. Even in the mundane world, he is Harry Potter, but in his home, around people he loves and trust, his name is Vali Lokison." Loki looked at her as if she were an insect. "You wizards are so very presumptuous, so…annoying. Pray tell, how much are the robes?"

The robe-maker muttered her price-list, and Loki tallied up the appropriate amount of galleons, pressing them to the counter. "Eisa, Vali, time to go."

"Yes, Mum!" Came the joint calls, before the two appeared from the racks. The three left, and Loki looked around, seeing if there was anywhere else she might want to visit.

"Mum?" Vali caught her attention.

Loki glanced down, "Yes, sweet one?"

"Can I get an owl?" His eyes flickered between her and the Owl Emporium just to their left. Wanting him to be happy, she summoned his galleon-bag, filling it up.

"Make sure to get the most expensive – it doesn't matter if they don't behave, you'll be in charge of training them. And remember to get all other necessities, such as a stand – you don't want them in their cage twenty-four seven – and one of the ties for letters. But everything else we can get in the mundane world, so don't worry about it."

"Yes, Mum," he gave her a quick hug before bounding off, leaving Eisa on the cobbles at her feet. Loki made sure to grab one of her small hands, so she didn't run off.

"So where should we go, little one?" She murmured, moving through the crowd. Eisa pointed to an ice-cream parlour. "Good idea. And look, it has an afternoon tea special."

Later, when they got home, Vali cooing over a beautiful snowy owl, Loki gave Eisa an early dinner before putting her in front of the television, so she could start on all the books they'd bought. She had to take a break later, getting dinner for both Vali and herself before putting Eisa to bed, then going back to her books, trusting Vali to go to bed without a reminder.

And so she read.

* * *

Vali going to Hogwarts brought an unending anxiety that reflected upon Eisa. The little girl was growing up too fast – she could tell something was bothering Loki, could tell when she was panicking. Loki felt weak, depending on her daughter to notice and tell her she was acting funny. Vali's letters helped. He was having fun, and he'd even found a friend of his from school – Justin Finch-Fletchley, Loki remembered. He was quite proud, and was technically in a different social circle from Vali, but Vali, well – he made friends everywhere he went. And from his letters, that hadn't changed.

However, Loki finished reading through the books they bought before he'd even been there two days, and it was safe to say she was worried about her son's education. The Wizarding World implemented structure to magic, something they shouldn't have done – it had changed the way their magic worked over the centuries, until 'wandless magic' was reserved for only the greatest of wizards. Loki assumed it was because of her tutelage, which had initially been so very difficult on Vali's part, and his connection to the ward system around his relatives' home that let Vali even use his magic the way she did.

It was why she sent him with a plain stick rather than a real wand – Hogwarts could teach him magic, but in no way would he be learning it with a wand. No, not if Loki had anything to do with it.

Eisa, however, could learn magic with a wand. The toddler was young, which was the only reason she would let her use it, other than the fact that Eisa's magic wasn't strong by any means. Loki had used a wand for fifty years, before her magic destroyed it, too strong to be confined to such a focus. The one time she'd used a staff to channel her magic brought the same result.

"Darling-mine, do not do that," she reprimanded softly as Eisa went to casually put the wand in her mouth, pulling it away slightly. "Can you wave it for mama, please?"

Eisa stuck her tongue out, before waving it. A few sparks came out the end, but not many, or very large. It would be enough. Taking it, Loki magicked it into her room, then opened the book on the table, reading out loud to her in Mandarin. She'd made a habit of it, over the past few years, after someone described her as a 'chinky baby'. Loki was at first insulted, before researching what the woman had meant and uncomfortably agreeing. The fact that she took at the time, and was still taking Mandarin courses in college, helped a lot. Loki would never lie to Eisa, when she grew – not about her heritage, not about how she found her. Hopefully, she was from somewhere in China, and knowing Mandarin would give her some personal closure as she discovered more about where she came from.

Loki would not have her daughter discover her heritage like Loki had. She would have a long journey, if she did want to know – because there was so much that Loki didn't. Maybe one day, Eisa could approach SHIELD, and ask about the destruction of a village on the eleventh of November, 1988. Loki didn't know. But what she did know was that she'd always support her, even…even if she did find her parents, and wanted to leave her behind. Loki loved her – always would, and if that meant giving her up, then she would.

Once she was finished the chapter of the book, Eisa had fallen asleep. Loki sat with her there on the sofa for a while longer, shutting her eyes. She'd go back to nursery tomorrow, and Loki would have free time...too much free time. Her thoughts fell to SHIELD, and suddenly she wondered – could she become an agent? She'd get to travel the globe, and do something with her thousands of years of weapons training. Maybe she'd even get to know Hawkeye and the Black Widow- but no, it was too early for them to join. They'd still be children themselves. Her lips twitched. What would the infamous Hawkeye and Black Widow look like now as children, teenagers? Or the Hulk? Or Stark?

"No," she murmured to herself, "Stark would be an adult…" she glanced down at Eisa, wondering if it were possible to seek Stark out. She was four hours ahead of New York, at the very least. But where would he be? This would require some research…

Time flew by. Loki visited Vali often, quizzing him on mundane subjects while fighting at the same time. He was falling behind when it came to science due to the lack of practical work he would usually do in a lab – he was stuck doing theoretical, and Loki could tell it grated on him a little. Regarding his other mundane studies, he was slacking a little, but that was only due to the magical homework he had to do as well – and Loki regretted not teaching him how to write with a quill after all. It would had come in handy – his hand-writing in ink was atrocious, and he lost marks on his work for the illegibility of it. One good point though was the fact that, while he at first struggled, Vali could perform spells even better than his classmates – still, Loki refrained from giving him back his wand, and even telling him that his holly and phoenix-feather was in her possession.

When Halloween passed and the news came that a _troll_ had gotten into the castle, and that Vali had gotten a detention of all things after saving the life of a fellow first-year by the name of Hermione Granger, Loki was both pissed and confused. Vali said it was because he snuck off during an evacuation that had his House – Slytherin – going towards where the troll had supposedly last been spotted, confusingly enough. But, the bright side was, he said, the fact that the boy who had upset the Granger girl, forcing her into the bathrooms in the first place, where the troll had gone, was serving detention with him, but for double the time, and his parents were being written to as well. Vali said as long as the boy got punished as well for endangering her life, he'd play along, and Loki begrudgingly agreed with his logic, seeing it from an unbiased angle.

Later, when he came home for Yule, Loki worked him twice as hard in his physical training, and taught him a warming enchantment so he could swim in the Black Lake after he returned. He described his takedown of the troll as 'cool', which was enough for her to not give him half of the money that she'd been storing up for him, the measures he'd not been given, seeing as he had no way to spend it during his time at school.

"Endangering your life is not 'cool', Vali Lokison," she replied to him coolly.

Eisa was very happy to see Vali back, of course, and Vali spent a lot of time with her – and Loki – during his holiday-time. It was also very interesting to see the presents he'd received for 'Christmas'. He had very many, all but one from his friends. That last one had been from an unknown sender, and Loki had forbidden Vali from using it – the invisibility cloak – until she had checked to make sure it was not cursed or tracked in any way. She eventually sent it to him at Hogwarts after his next owl home, having found only a few benign charms that Loki had actual fun trying to remove – after all, unless they were an enemy, there was no bad thing about being able to know when a child was using an artefact such as that.

The Goddess also had a breakthrough with her investigations into Tony Stark. At present, he was twenty-one years old, and would turn twenty-two on the upcoming May twenty-ninth. His father had died the past December, so he had inherited 'Stark Industries' and Howard Stark's entire net-worth. During March, on a bank-holiday, when Eisa was out on a trip with her nursery to a forest, Loki went to America – more specifically, New York, where Stark was having an 'Expo'. Attending it, Loki actually learnt something, to her surprise – but maybe she shouldn't have been surprised as, after all, she wasn't very knowledgeable on Midguardian technology, or their planet's development. That was Thor's job, in the future at least – he had to know the level of civilisation each of his realms were.

After the Expo, Loki planned to go to the after-party, but somewhere during watching and listening to all the speakers, she'd lost track of time and had to go pick up Eisa. _Another time_ , she promised herself. Her next opportunity, however, didn't come until Vali was home for the summer, and could babysit Eisa. Loki spent less time at the Expo itself, instead sitting at the bar, less than half a dozen people away from Stark himself. To Loki's surprise, most of that dozen were women – few were businessmen and businesswomen.

Then she heard him speak, and _Norns_ , she should have stayed away.

"A womaniser…" she muttered, finding herself disappointed. It seemed that Tony Stark was yet to mature into a person of solid character yet. And to think, his father had just died a couple of months prior, too. If Odin had died, no matter how much she hated him, Loki would have observed the grieving period for the man she called 'father' for the majority of her life. _Maybe Midguardians are different, but somehow I doubt that._ Finishing her drink, Loki went to leave, only for said womaniser to call out to her.

"Hey, hot one with Bourbon on the rocks!" Loki hazarded a glance over. Her mistake. Stark grinned, winking at her. "Don't think I didn't see you checking me out." Loki tried to remember what that meant, to Midguardians, but obviously she'd left her reply too long, as Stark spoke again. "So what do you say, pretty? Do you want some of this?" Loki grimaced, before turning away, slipping into the crowd. She could still hear him, lamenting her avoidance of him, before he went back to his previous conversations.

 _I don't know what I expected_ , Loki realised bitterly, disappointment increasing tenfold. _He is not the Tony Stark who would threaten me with the Hulk, and his fellow Avengers._ It was unexpected, but Loki grieved for that Tony Stark. He was still alive, in another world, another time and place, to her knowledge, but the fact that any Tony Stark that existed could be anything less was…heart-breaking, in a way. Hopefully he'd still have the same character-building experiences in the future – for now though?

Loki was going to stay well clear of Tony Stark.


	3. Chapter 3

_Mother,_

 _I discovered a secret passageway, today, in my dorm-room. It led me to the seventh floor of the school, despite going down two flights of stairs, to behind a tapestry of a man named Barnabus the Barmy, who was teaching trolls how to dance ballet. It was quite funny. Then – it was awesome – a door appeared, and when I went into the room, it was like my free-running gym was there, but better! I'm going to go there to practice my free-running, and wall-running. It's so much safer, and I won't be disturbed – though it's kind of sad that I won't be able to make my House-mates stare for ages and ages in awe though._

 _I suppose though, I should mention that I broke both my wrist and ankle, before you visit this weekend. I was practicing my wall-running and somersaults in my common room, with cushioning charms on the floor, when a sixth-year decided to_ finite _them. Professor Snape lectured me over doing 'silly stunts' without the proper precautions, and at all, really, and didn't give me a chance to explain how I was sabotaged, so I have detention Saturday morning, at ten. I have to clean bedpans in the hospital wing. I apologise, because it means I won't be able to train with you until after lunch._

 _Could you tell Eisa that I stuck her drawing and her letter to my wall? My Mandarin's rusty, but I could still read it fine – tell her I love her too, and that I really like how she gave me a green shirt. And tell her that I want to meet this 'Bran' boy, when I get back in the summer, so I can beat him up for giving my sister a Valentines card._

 _All my love,_

 _Vali_

* * *

"Now, _breathe_ …and-"

The shot rang out, hitting the shoulder of the human-shaped target. Loki lowered the gun, frustrated.

"What am I doing wrong?" She asked her instructor, who motioned for her to try again. She came up to the Goddess, pressing close against her body, adjusting her grip on the barrel.

"Your muscles are tensing, and it's throwing off your elbow, so it's throwing off your aim. Now try again, but keep this tucked in."

"Like in archery?" Loki questioned under her breath.

"Well I'm no archer, but if this is what you do in archery, then yes," the instructor nodded, before stepping back. Loki gained an odd look on her face, before nodding, breathing deeply before letting go, pressing the trigger. It hit the shoulder again. "Maybe your aim is just off?"

"No, I meant to hit that." Loki replied serenely, before shooting a perfect line from shoulder to shoulder, before hitting straight in the middle of its forehead. The instructor raised an eyebrow.

"So…you've never picked up a gun in your life before this?"

"No. But as you may have already assumed, I have experience in archery – they are similar enough, I now realise."

The instructor chuckled nervously. "Yeah. Right…now we've got a couple of minutes left, before you can legally sign off for a license to shoot one of these babies. I'll watch you, you just…just keep practicing."

"Thank-you," Loki replied cordially, before continuing to shoot at the target – trying _ever_ so hard not to superimpose Odin's body onto it.

* * *

"Mummy, can we go to 'merica?" Eisa asked. Loki glanced down at her from where she stood at the cooker.

"On holiday?" Eisa nodded. "Maybe, but I'd like to wait a bit before going somewhere that far away. We have to take mortal vessels to get there, lest I be caught in my fraud."

"You mean like boats and aeroplanes?" Eisa questioned.

"I do, sweet one," Loki nodded, placing the lid over the boiling pasta, turning down the heat. "But you know what we _will_ do this summer?"

"What?"

"In school, do you learn what things like 'Europe' are?"

Eisa nodded, "Europe's the _big_ group of countries, that we're in! It's beside Asia, and the ocean!"

"You are correct," Loki smiled, crouching down in front of her, "And this summer, we're going to go all around Europe, starting from the day after Vali returns home, up until the day before he goes back to school. We'll start in France, and then go clockwise, up to Belgium, and Amsterdam, and Germany."

"What about China?"

"China's not in Europe – it's in Asia. We'll be going there for your fifth birthday, next year. I've already made plans." Eisa shrieked in happiness, bouncing up and down before jumping over to wrap her arms around Loki's neck.

"Thank-you mummy! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!"

Loki kissed her head. "I'd do anything for you, my lovely girl. Anything at all."

Her voice was muffled as she spoke into Loki's shirt, "Even a pony." Loki chuckled.

"Even a pony. But we'd have to move house for that, and we're perfect where we are." Eisa whined, but it wasn't heartfelt, and she quickly let both it and Loki go, running out of the kitchen back to her toys in the living room.

Sighing, Loki glanced back at their food. It was nearly done. Shutting her eyes, Loki reached for her hair, digging her fingers into her braids, rubbing the strained strands, knowing it was about time to take them out – her hair was already a centimetre longer. She had to redo them every week, because of the way her hair grew – she'd have to cut it short soon, perhaps to her shoulders. It would be a literal weight off her head, and it would remind her to get Vali's hair cut, or at least teach him the ways of Men's Hair Braiding. He would be twelve in a few short months – converting that into Aesir years, it was a travesty she hadn't already taught him. As it was, she'd already started the process to teach Eisa, making it even more shameful.

The water boiled. Loki took it off the heat. Her hair would have to wait.

* * *

When one is informed that someone has tried to take their child, most would panic, or become scared and angry. Some might phone the police – Eisa's school certainly did. When Loki was told that a man claiming to be Eisa's father, with her signature claiming so, wanted to pick her up from nursery, but was unable to take her anywhere at all due to not knowing the 'secret pass-phrase', Loki was not unlike any other Midguardian parent. She was fearful and panicky, because what if it wasn't a Midguardian? What if the Allfather of this world had sent someone after her daughter?

Loki took Eisa out of school for an entire week, holing up in their apartment. She fully expected an Asgardian warrior, a battalion of Einherjar, to appear in the street below and march up to her door. She fully expected Odin to tear her apart from her child once again.

She did not expect the human that _did_ knock on her door.

* * *

 _Mother,_

 _You didn't reply to my last letter, or come to school this weekend. Is something wrong? Is it Eisa?_

 _All my love,_

 _Vali_

* * *

 _Vali,_

 _Forgive me, but matters have come to my attention that need my full concentration. Eisa is fine, but we shall be holding off our plans to go to Europe this summer, until I am certain these things are resolved – you may even have to stay at a friend of yours for a short span of time, when you return. I will contact you again soon, but until then, refrain from sending me letters and do not expect me to come on weekends._

 _All the love I can give,_

 _Your mother._

* * *

The wind was biting and chill – Eisa was cosy and warm within her parker jacket, while Loki herself was as fine as ever, Jotun ancestry shining through as she wore the bare minimum to fit in. In front of them was a dark-haired man on his knees, staring at them both. He was like Loki, wearing only trousers, a shirt, and leather tunic – though his was more of a sleeveless over-shirt than a tunic. One of his arms was silver, a red star on the upper shoulder.

Loki knew only three things. One: that he was the man that tried to abduct Eisa. Two: he was fully combat-trained, in multiple arts and weapons. And three: only due to Loki keeping him captive for a long period of time, without 'the Ice', let the Winter Soldier remember that his name was James Buchanan Barnes.

"Eisa, take off his mask, please." Loki directed, tilting her head. Eisa toddled over, sticking out her tongue in concentration as she undid the straps beside his ears, dark brown hair fluttering about in the wind. Her fringe had a hard time staying in place too, but luckily it wasn't quite long enough yet to interfere with her eyesight. She'd wanted one, so Loki let her, unable to deny her that one thing – Asgard didn't have a need for 'fringes' in women, or men to be honest. Only young boys with haircuts similar to Thor's as a child made having a fringe possible, and it looked quite ungainly if not done right.

Loki glanced at the picture she'd taken from the faded newspaper, depicting Sergeant Barnes. _No fringe there_. His bosses had obviously neglected to give him haircuts between his times in 'the Ice'. Loki had figured it meant he'd been cryogenically frozen – Midguardians had the technology to do such a thing, in this day and age, though it was primitive, hence 'cryo'. On Asgard, you used magic to send one into a sleep in which their body did not deteriorate.

"Done!" Eisa proclaimed, before stepping back, mask in hand. Loki had to admit, he still looked pretty attractive for a seventy-five year old Midguardian. She wondered what they had done to him – perhaps something like the Captain?

"What are you?" He asked in a low, sullen voice.

"I am a God," Loki gave, before narrowing her eyes. "I have gracefully let you have some time to yourself since our last interrogation, for the express purpose for whatever the mortals did to you to fade. But now, you will answer my questions. All of them. One at a time. With no distractions. Am I understood?"

"Yeah…what God are you?" Loki made a face at his sudden accent, different from the one he used before, as did Eisa, who Loki realised – on a quick, but careful look at her daughter's face, analysing everything given to her – didn't understand what he was saying.

"That is none of your concern, at present. Now, tell me, Sergeant Barnes – who took you after you fell from the train in Austria?"

Barnes looked to the ground, clearly recalling the experience. "Cold…snow…Zola- they spoke German, at first. Then Russian. I speak- I speak Russian too, now. They took me. The Russians. Hydra. The KGB." Loki frowned. She'd heard of the KGB once, in passing. _They are infamous._ But, she couldn't reveal that she had no idea who or what the KGB were, not yet – and in any case, she did know what Hydra was, and hoped never to come across them, lest they insulted her and she was forced to wipe them from the globe, which would take too much time and effort for Loki to be bothered with. Though, with how she'd captured their asset, she was probably going to have to do that anyway.

"Before, you couldn't remember yourself. How is this possible?"

"Mind-wipe," he replied shortly. Loki glanced at Eisa. _She's too young for this_.

"My darling, would you go inside, please?" She motioned to the cabin, where she had been keeping the Soldier hidden while he was in living stasis, this past month. Eisa made a face.

"Why?"

"Don't question me, sweet one. Go inside," she commanded softly, but with backbone. Eisa continued to make a face, but walked to the cabin, playing with the Winter Soldier's mask. Loki looked back to the Soldier after she was safely inside, peering through the window. "Hydra and the KGB – they wiped your mind, and I assume found a way to force you to be compliant. I do not see Captain America's best friend willingly siding with those opposing him."

"Steve," Barnes muttered, "little punk…" Loki ignored his whispers.

"Did they send you to kidnap Eisa because she is my daughter?"

"No."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Why did they send you to kidnap Eisa?"

"Eisa, is that the girl? Cause the file said her name was Daisy Johnson." Barnes continued to mutter, and any human wouldn't have been able to hear due to the sudden gust of wind, but Loki was far from human.

"Daisy Johnson…her birth name," Loki realised, "Why did they send you to kidnap Daisy Johnson?"

"She's the supposed daughter of Subject Forty-Two."

"Subject Forty-Two?" For some reason, that rang a bell. _Why-_ Loki internally paused. _Forty-Two – Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Forty-two, the answer to the Ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything._ So unless it was coincidence, Eisa's true mother had been labelled after this concept? Loki glanced at where Eisa sat at the window. _If her mother had the Kree gene, she could have had any power, any power at all. Just like Eisa_. Swallowing the bile that had suddenly appeared in her throat, Loki snapped her gaze back to Barnes. "How long have they been tracking her?"

"Investigation into Subject Forty-Two B, aka Daisy Johnson has been going on since the fifteenth of November, nineteen eighty-eight," he answered, as if by rote. Loki breathed out hurriedly.

"Were you sent to kidnap her from a predetermined location, or to track her down and bring her?"

"I've been going in and out of cryo for a few years now, but- but yeah. She's a top priority. There've been only two other more important cases-"

"Answer the question!" Loki snapped. "Do they know where we live? Have they been watching us? When? How long? Did you get a chance to report back to your superiors?"

He snapped right back, muscles tensing beneath the body-bind. "They're not my damn superiors, so you can just fuck on out of here if you want to say that shit. I'm grateful to you, I really am, doll, and it's because of you they _aren't_ my damn keepers any more, just-" Loki slapped him, hard.

"Do not speak to me like that, you filthy _animal_ ," Loki's eyes were alight in rage, "I am a _Queen_ , the Lady Sorcerer of the Realms Eternal – you shall _not_ speak to me in such a manner, or you shall suffer the consequences."

Barnes glared fiercely at her. "And I'm the _Winter fucking Soldier_ – and I was tracking you on my own. They make me file a mission report after I'm done, meaning I haven't told them a single thing past where I need them to drop me off with the plane. The only reason you'd be in danger right now is because you managed to stop me from going back into cryo. It takes _time_ for this shit to wear off, which is why they put me back in a few days after I get out – a week, at the most. That's the _only_ reason they might want to track me down."

"Do you have a physical tracker that can be activated?" She questioned, still angry. He motioned to the arm.

"Close proximity to the sensors can tip them off, sometimes."

"I don't like the word, 'sometimes'." Loki reached over, tearing at the fabrics around his shoulder, ripping through them with ease, before she looked at the area where the metal fused to skin. "Try not to scream."

And then, she ripped off the silver arm entirely.

* * *

 _Vali, my darling boy,_

 _It has been too long since I have last seen you, or written. I read your past letters fondly while dealing with the matters that upon paper are too easy to be guessed at, even by using code. Unfortunately, I will not be coming on any of your few remaining weekends at Hogwarts, for pressing matters force me to stay home. When you return, you shall see what I mean, and yes, before you ask, I stay because Eisa's safety is possibly at risk if I do not, but it is not from the guest who is now staying with us. In our remaining correspondences, and indeed, out loud, to him, I and your friends, you may refer to him as Åsmund Sawyer._

 _But I find myself tired now, Vali, of talking of these things. Eisa has been my only source of innocent talk and actions. Please, tell me what has happened to you, no matter how mundane. Have you gotten any more detentions? Did you complete your end of year exams? Did you keep up with your mortal studies as well as your magical? What do you know of what will happen next year?_

 _All the love I can give,_

 _Mother._

* * *

"-a mix-up, a terrible, terrible mistake." Loki grimaced good-naturedly, holding James' hand tightly. The other mother looked curious.

"So he _is_ little Asa's father?"

"Eisa," James corrected quietly, "But no. Not biologically." Loki gave a close-mouthed smile.

"Åsmund is my son's father. I adopted Eisa a few years after we separated. But Åsmund's been away home to Norway on business – we talk on the phone. Eisa didn't recognise him, and our Stranger Danger password has changed a few times since Åsmund and I split."

The other mother grimaced, "That's sounds awful. You got it all sorted out in the end though, yeah?" Loki nodded, before the bell rang, and everyone turned their attention to the door, which soon opened to a flurry of nursery children. Out of the corner of her eye, Loki could see the woman already gossiping to one of her friends. It would get around soon enough, and 'Åsmund' would be firmly tied to her. She glanced at James, minutely digging her nails into key points of his fingers. He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Just checking it's working like it should," she answered his silent question, looking back into the crowd for Eisa. She could tell that he was still uncomfortable with his new arm though – she'd used magic to regrow it, and because of the scar tissue and damaged nerve-endings, she was still making internal adjustments. Luckily, her magic had the foresight to warn her every time a potential clot, build-up or lack of electrical impulses, or spasm was about to happen, so she could heal or soften or harden whatever needed to be fixed.

Her hearing picked up Eisa's dulcet tones, shrieking as Vali greeted her. He'd taken the train up from London the night before, and had been sleeping while Eisa got ready for nursery, so this was her first time seeing him since the winter. In Loki's opinion, her son had taken to James quite well, even agreeing with the 'Åsmund is his father' route, but time would tell where their relationship headed – Loki had already decided he would be a Sif-like addition to his circle of friends. Caustic, potentially hostile, yet daring and amusing, someone Loki would trust.

Though, not with her children.

Obviously.

She wasn't _that_ dumb to think that James was her ally. After all, what was the Midguardian saying? _Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer_ – in no Universe did she expect Hydra to leave an asset like the Winter Soldier lying around, lost or not, without a failsafe.

After his arm?

Loki was going to have to fix his _head_.

* * *

"Mum, what does that say?" Vali questioned as he tried to read from an information plaque on a painting. Loki glanced over, noting the lack of English translation, or French. It only had Dutch, which was a bit of an annoyance, seeing as one language Loki hadn't thought to learn _was_ Dutch.

"It says stuff about Van Gogh, the same stuff as the last painting," James put in as Loki came up blank. Looking over at him, Loki raised an eyebrow.

"And here I thought you only spoke English and Russian."

James shifted. "I was in Europe for over half the war. I had to pick up something, though f-" he glanced at Eisa "-fudge, French. Couldn't learn more than _je m'appelle Sergent Barnes de les Howling Commandos, comment puis-je t'aider?_ " He snorted, and Loki quirked her lip a little too, before noting how a seemingly random tourist's head suddenly jerked, her red hair one of the most eye-catching things in the room.

 _Red_.

Loki picked Eisa up from the floor suddenly, swinging her up onto James' shoulder as she shrieked, giggling, "Åsmund, why don't you take Eisa and Vali to get some ice-cream? I spy a lost little girl I know." She thought James seemed surprisingly at ease after her words, until she saw his eyes. Smiling, she came close, pressing up against him in an intimate, domestic sort of way that had people looking away. _Every time…_ "James, calm down," she murmured, before pressing a kiss to his lips. Eisa made a funny noise, before hitting her head.

"Mummy, stop it!" Loki grinned at her, before glancing at Vali, who was blinking rapidly from behind his glasses.

"Vali, you mentioned a café earlier – want to lead your dad to it to see if they sell ice-cream?" Pushing him lightly towards James, Loki waited until James nodded at her, before letting Vali lead them away. Loki didn't waste time in going over to where Natasha Romanoff stood, looking so _young_ that Loki felt guilty for even going near her. _It's going to be like Stark all over again._

"How are you? I haven't seen you in a while," Loki started casually, standing beside the teen. She couldn't have been more than eighteen, which brought into question how young then she looked in the future, or if she was a teen at all.

"Do I know you?" Romanoff questioned, voice blank. Loki felt a tingle of displeasure up her spine. _Oh, this is worse. Romanoff is a blank_ _ **slate**_ _._ "I think I recognise your partner."

"Oh, you would, I believe he recognised you too." The Goddess nodded, before taking her hand and tugging her out of the gallery, towards the currently-empty stairwell. As soon as the door shut, Romanoff tried to assault her, pin her to the door – failing, of course, as Loki was a _Goddess_ and was a _lot_ stronger than her. Taking her wrists, Loki used magic to slam her against a wall, forcibly delving into her mind, hoping dearly she didn't completely fracture this woman before she became the bloody masterpiece she was in the future.

Immediately she was assaulted with images, memories – fights, dance- _ballet_ \- guns, a stern mistress- _Madam Mizhka_ \- guns, fire- _red, heat, white hot, MAMA_ \- Loki pushed them away, not taking any time to process any of it properly as she searched for what she thought was in James' mind, and-

"There," Loki growled, before untying everything Romanoff had ever learned from the wall, the string to which her subconscious was tied. If it destroyed Romanoff, she would only care for the loss of what she could be. Right now, she was nothing. A pawn, a dog sent out by its masters. _Bring Big Brother home_. "You aren't going to get him, sweetheart," she growled again, before the famed Black Widow finally passed out from the mental strain. Loki caught her before she could fall to the ground, transporting them both to a side-street in the American city of New York. The dark was welcome – it would hide them from sight until she was finished.

 _Time to give this assassin her wings._

* * *

"…Vali, why are your fellow students avoiding you?" Loki questioned as they sat for breakfast in the Great Hall. It was one of the few times Loki had been inside, mostly content to work out on the grounds, or in Vali's strange room on the seventh floor. Eisa had asked if James – or rather, 'Daddy' – could make her pancakes like they did them in America for breakfast on Saturday morning, and, happy that Eisa trusted him and that the ghastly Russian coding was out of his mind, Loki had come to Hogwarts early to have second breakfast with Vali, after he got back from swimming in the Black Lake.

Vali, at her question, shifted uncomfortably. "You know how I told you about the Chamber of Secrets stuff? And how people have been petrified?"

"Yes, I remember – I also remember reversing the petrifications myself, each and every one."

"Yes, well…" Vali played with his glasses, "Uh, people are saying that I'm the one whose doing it, because I'm a Slytherin, and I'm Dark and experimenting with magic, and you're reversing it because I'm trying to do stuff that you can do and-"

"Vali," Loki interrupted, sounding furious, "Why have you let them get away with this? You are _better_ than this."

Vali looked confused, "But-"

"No. You will not say 'but', or allow these rumours to gain any more weight. Rumours should not faze you, for they are that – _rumours_. You are a Prince of both Asgard and Jotunheim," she said coldly, _loudly,_ "meaning any _slander_ or _defamation_ of you is slander and defamation of _me_. I will not have it."

Of course, one _plucky young soul_ decided to sneer, "It's not our fault that Potter's practicing dark magic so callously. Anything he's being called, he deserves." Loki eyed the boy distantly, glancing at Vali, who suddenly went very pale.

"Mother, no-"

"Mother, yes," Loki interrupted, before looking to the boy. "What is your name, boy?"

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. My father is Lucius Malfoy, Lord Malfoy of the Noble House of Malfoy, a good friend to the Minister of Magic himself, and a Governor on the Hogwarts Board of Governors."

Loki nodded slightly, "A good introduction. You forgot to name yourself Heir Malfoy, but yes, good introduction. Do you happen to know my son's full title, without the ones he inherits from me?"

Draco narrowed his eyes, "He doesn't have one, right now, but he belongs to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. When he's seventeen, he'll become Lord Potter, but that's it." He sent a smug look at Vali, at that, but Loki wasn't impressed.

"And why isn't he Heir Potter?"

"His _real_ parents are dead, so he has a Regent in his stead, and his closest male magical blood-relative – _me_ – is his Heir, though I don't get that title until he actually becomes Lord."

Vali made a shocked face, "We're _related?!_ But- but you're an _arse!_ I can't be related to _you!_ "

"Vali!" Loki snapped, glaring lightly, "Do not be rude." She looked to Draco. "How are you related to my son?"

Draco sniffed, "His grandmother was Dorea Black. My mother, Lady Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, was her great niece."

Loki eyed him. "So, not very close, but still related. I'll presume there are a few more of my son's second cousins and suchlike laying about. Vali, do not socialise with this boy."

"I don't, anyway – why are you telling me not to though?"

Loki hummed, "Princes only play with other Royals, my darling. I should know – your Uncle Thor was not allowed to socialise with anyone other than me as a child. Now though, Heir Malfoy, I would like to inform you of the social faux-pas you and all the students who slander my son have made today. The child you know as Harry Potter, future Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, is also known as Vali Sigynson – Prince of Asgard, Prince of Jotunheim, Undetermined God, and future Supreme Sorcerer of the Realms."

" _Mum!_ " Vali whispered, scandalised and bright red.

Loki waved him off, standing, "Oh hush, Vali, and finish your food." She looked around the hall, raising her voice. "If I find out that anyone is spreading these terrifically unbelievable rumours after today, I will do worse than petrify them." She let out a short glare, before turning back to Vali, calm again. "What are we doing today?"

"Judo, but you didn't have to say all of that!" He downed the last of his juice, grabbing an apple before standing. "I mean, it's one thing to say I'm a Prince, but how do you know I'll be Supreme Sorcerer? What if we find one of my brothers?"

Loki shrugged, "I highly doubt we will, Vali, but if we do, the only one you would need to worry about would be Jormungandr. Now come on, or we won't make it up there in time for nine o'clock."

Vali rolled his eyes, before they started walking. "You like schedules too much."

"There's nothing wrong with a good schedule-"

"I believe you."

"Hey!" Loki pointed at him, "You aren't allowed to use sarcasm against me!"

Vali rolled his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

"Loki?"

"Yes, James?" Loki replied distractedly, busy learning Dutch on the island table. It had been several months since their tour of Europe – a yet to be finished tour – and she was cracking down on the European languages she hadn't yet learned, wanting to know them even if she didn't have the official qualifications and backgrounds in them like she did for the ones she studied in college.

"What did you do with Natalia?"

Loki paused. _He must mean Natasha_. She looked up at the assassin, wearing her apron as he made all-American apple pie from scratch. He looked conflicted. "I remember training her, back in the fifties. She was…good."

"And I am a Goddess. She was no match for me." Loki eyed him. "I did not kill her, James, if that's what you're thinking. I merely did to her what I did to you, except with less caution. She will appreciate my gift in time."

"I saw her yesterday." James admitted, causing Loki to frown. "She'd dyed her hair blonde. I think she was…sight-seeing. She had a guard, but still, I think she was actually being normal."

"Good," Loki said quietly, thinking back to what Barton had told him of her past. It was unlikely that SHIELD would let her go very easily, or let her become a proper civilian in any capacity, but normality was always good. "How old is she?"

"Less than a decade younger than me," he replied, before glancing down at her work, pointing at a sentence she'd put together. "Other way around." Loki peered at it, before silently correcting it.

"Thank-you."

"You're welcome." There was a silence, for a time, and it took a few moments for Loki to realise James wasn't going back to his pie.

"Is something the matter?" She questioned, watching as he frowned to himself, looking at the island table. "James- _Bucky_." His head snapped up, their eyes meeting. "What is it?"

"In Holland, you kissed me."

Oh.

 _That's why he's being so odd_. Loki shook her head. "It doesn't have to mean a thing, James. I did it to keep up an act, though you are welcome to try courting me if you want – I'm not saying you'll succeed. I'm different in romantic relationships than I am in platonic ones." She narrowed her eyes, watching him as he stared at her. "Am I not being clear, James?"

"No, you were clear," he said in a strangled sort of voice, "I just- _do_ you want to be in a relationship with me like that?"

Loki tilted her head, "James, I said you were welcome to _try_. I do not decide quickly, on matters such as these. As with any argument, you must show me why and how you are a good suitor, before I consider claiming you as my own."

"'Claiming'?" He questioned.

Loki looked at him amusedly, "I am a Queen, James. Even if our relationship did not last, you would still be temporarily considered King Consort, just like any of my other suitors – though, they were admittedly Princess Consort and Prince Consort."

"You were in a relationship with a girl?" James frowned lightly. "Like, officially?"

"Vali's father was a woman, James, I thought we'd already covered this, no? Oh well, you might as well know." Loki sighed, leaning her chin on her hands, elbows resting over her papers. "My first official partner was a woman named Angrboda. She was a Frost Giant, and we were together purely to spite my father. She was the father of three of my children – Jormungandr, Hela and Fenrir, in that order. We were together until shortly before I gave birth to Hela, due to Odin's continued hate and bigotry towards my children. Angrboda did not want to see her daughter, for she knew that once again, she would be malformed and Odin would take her."

"Malformed?"

Loki gave a humourless smile, "My magic changed my children in the womb. Babes and young ones are creations too new of the world to face magic without consequences. I am one of the most powerful Sorceresses in the universe – the effects my children suffered were monstrous indeed, and it is maybe a blessing that Odin killed them."

"Loki, that's…" James washed his hands in the sink, drying them before coming to sit beside her. Loki turned to face him slightly, feeling the loss of them, her heart aching dully. "I don't really know what to say. Sorry?"

Loki shrugged a little, before continuing, "My sons, Narfi and Vali, were conceived through another woman, by the name of Sigyn. I believe Vali told you about his past life, what little he knows?"

"Yeah," James nodded, "he did. You got some time with them."

"I did. My last daughter, Einmyria, was the result of a short affair with the Crown Prince of Muspelheim. In any other circumstance, if I was not Jotun, I believe we might have been able to be together as husband and wife, but other natures clashed just as harshly as our personalities – it was one of the reasons I liked him. I know not the fate of Einmyria, though I am aware that Gludt still calls her his daughter, and that he searches for her still. I have not spoken to him since Einmyria was taken, but for our standards, a century is barely any time at all."

"So he's my best competitor," James joked, causing Loki to chuckle.

"In a way, but you have nothing to fear. I come from a world parallel to this one."

James blinked, "What?"

"Have I not regaled you with this story?" She questioned, blinking, trying to remember- "Oh, no. I've only told Vali and Eisa. I come from another universe."

"But you said that Vali was reincarnated," James became confused, "so his soul came from _your_ universe?"

"Yes. You must understand that when souls are reincarnated, it is not always to the same world. I know that in _this_ universe, my children as _my children_ do not exist – they could not be reincarnated here if they were."

"But there are still versions of them out there, somewhere?"

Loki shrugged, "I suppose they must be, but they will more than likely simply be bodies, different beings inside, that are named the same. But that is not important. The point to this line of conversation was to explain my past suitors. So there: Gludt is in another universe, so shall not be coming for me any time soon, though he may contact me if he finds Einmyria in the distant future."

James nodded, and for a few moments they were silent, before he paused. "I've heard you talk about your children before, and Vali. What about…Sleiphnir?"

"Sleipnir," Loki swallowed, squeezing her eyes shut. "Forgive me if I do not want to talk of Sleipnir's genealogy."

"Is it like in the mythology books?"

"Do these mythology books you have read talk of Svadilfari?" Loki questioned lightly, eyes still shut, knowing what he talked of.

"Yeah. So it's true?"

"…unfortunately," she opened her eyes, looking away, out into the living room. _I need to hide our magical belongings before she gets home with Bran_. She had been wanting to have her friend over for a while now, and Loki had finally agreed after getting to know his mother, Elizabeth. "May we change topics?"

"Course, doll," he replied, before his hand came to her chin, turning her face. Loki swallowed, blinking rapidly at how close their faces were. "Stop me if I'm wrong, but you could do with a distraction."

"Yes," Loki uttered, ashamed to find herself breathless. _I am a Goddess of over two thousand years old. I should not be acting like a child with an infatuation! I'm not even infatuated with him._ Cheeks flaming, Loki fidgeted, before James kissed her lightly, slowly increasing pressure until she sunk in, mind awhir. _Norns, I have not felt like this in a while_ – not since Gludt. Feeling something rise in her, Loki started to reciprocate, own hands rising to cup his face, becoming ravenous. She moved onto his lap, pushing paper and books onto the table as she brushed past, straddling his lap with confounding ease despite the fact that he sat on the edge of his stool.

"Doll-" he bit out, arms wrapping around her waist, tugging her to him tightly. Loki held on tightly, grinding into his lap. "Loki…"

"James, I have been celibate for nearly two hundred years," she whispered huskily, "My apologies if this is moving a little fast."

"No complaints here, doll." Loki grinned as he stood, kissing her, wrapping her legs around his waist. Loki held on tightly, grinning into his mouth as he walked towards her bedroom. "Just warn me if you want to stop, because you're beautiful, babe, just- _fuck_ , you're a doll."

"Thank-you," she used magic to shut her bedroom door, before getting down, kissing him lazily before dropping back down onto her bed, stretching out. "Now, let's have some _fun._ "

* * *

Eisa would later come home with Bran and Elizabeth, and Elizabeth would be the one raising her eyebrow as James in a muscle-shirt, arms shining, left hurriedly to go on a run, leaving the two woman to socialise in the kitchen with the half-done apple pie.

"You got some."

"That I did, dear Elizabeth. Jealous?"

"Very. My husband is nice, but he isn't as fit as your john. You're a lucky woman."

" _Hah_ , he's the lucky one."

"Right you are, Lokes."

Loki smiled at the woman. _I really do like this woman._ "Elizabeth, I can see us becoming _very_ good friends."

Elizabeth grinned, before wiggling her fingers, "Same, but only if you give me a cuppa, right now."

"Done."

* * *

"-help."

Loki looked around at the professors, all of who seemed a variation of worried, scared or angry, with the exception of Lockhart. Loki sneered lightly at his happy calm. She was completely against his employment at Hogwarts, but seeing as Vali could teach himself what he needed to know, she wasn't exactly bothered – she wouldn't know who he'd have to be replaced with, either, seeing as he was apparently the only applicant. _I will have to look into this 'one year' curse on the Defence position_.

"Lady Loki, it really would be much appreciated if you gave us some advice on this issue. You've helped revive our petrified students – surely you have some wisdom to bequeath?" Professor Flitwick asked, squeaky voice layered with nerves and desperation. Loki glanced over, nodding slightly, before taking a sheaf of parchment from her pocket.

"This 'Chamber of Secrets' is hidden, even to those who have mapped the castle more thoroughly than even I." Loki unfolded the parchment, splaying her hand over it, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Before their eyes, ink spread, creating lines and circles, footsteps and words. "I borrowed this from two students who have recently become quite avid worshippers. They send me the occasional letter."

"These 'two students' wouldn't happen to have the last name 'Weasley', would they?" Snape drawled. Loki smirked a touch.

"Indeed. Fred and George entrusted this to me a few days ago. This map shows the entirety of Hogwarts, and can track any inside. I must say though, whoever 'Moony', 'Wormtail', 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs' are, they are even more ingenious than the twins, for even I cannot understand how the magic of it is configured." She unfolded the map a little, pausing as she saw Vali's human name following close behind _Tom Riddle_ and _Ginevra Weasley_ , which was odd considering her body would 'lie in the Chamber forever' _. She shouldn't be walking around then, I suppose._

But then she continued to stare, as she watched as the three disappeared from view. She pointed to where they had been. "Where is this?"

Snape swept over, peering down, "Second floor girl's bathroom. It is also, coincidentally, where the ghost of Moaning Myrtle can be found."

Loki narrowed her eyes, before looking to the Headmaster. Dumbledore seemed to be having an epiphany. "Headmaster? Did, by any chance, this 'Moaning Myrtle', die due to the monster that hides within the Chamber of Secrets? For if she did, then my son and Ginevra Weasley's lives are in danger. Who is _Tom Riddle?_ "

* * *

Eisa scrunched up her nose.

"Why's it green? Daddy doesn't suit green."

James seemed to agree, frowning lightly as he scratched at the basilisk hide jerkin. Loki glanced over at Vali, who wore a matching suit, but with significantly more flexible pieces of hide to accommodate for his highly limber way of fighting.

"It's green because the basilisk was green," Vali answered for her. "We could dye it black though?"

"I want it dyed black," James agreed, before tugging it off, "and can we get rid of the skirt bit?"

"It's not a skirt."

"Yeah, I know, it's a tunic," James rolled his eyes, "I still want to get rid of the fu- fudging skirt." Loki huffed, before waving her hand. Basilisk hide fell to the ground. "Thank-you."

"Do I get a suit, mummy?"

"No, my darling," she muttered darkly, glaring at James, who had gone back to playing with Vali's hood, pushing it off his head. "You'll have to wait until you're older, when you've stopped growing. There's no point in giving you more than a vest right now."

Eisa pouted. "Not fair."

"Life's not fair, sweetie, now go and put your vest away and get started on your Hungarian."

* * *

"Mum?" Vali questioned as they laid out on the sofa together. Loki hummed, running her hand through Eisa's long hair as it splayed over her back. "How did I die?" Loki stilled.

"Why are you asking me that?"

"I want to know, Mum," Vali answered quietly, "I want to know what happened to Narfi, and what Odin did that separated us all. I want to know what happened to my other mother, afterwards. I want to know what happened to _you_ , and just- I want to know," he said plaintively. Loki was silent. "Mum?"

Loki sat up from the sofa, adjusting Eisa. "Let me put your sister to bed. I don't want her waking up while we talk." She went through to Eisa's room, setting her down in her bed, under the Minnie Mouse covers, before returning, sitting down with Vali and kissing his forehead, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"When you and your brother were born, there wasn't anything immediately wrong with you, unlike your siblings. I think it was because I left Asgard – magic is strong there, and probably had never helped me or your brothers and sisters. It was your curiosity that let the Einherjar find us."

"Mine?" Vali seemed stricken. Loki shook her head frantically.

"Oh, no, not like that, and not just yours. I and Sigyn kept you and your brother from ever leaving us – you were to stay within sight of the house, at all times. We were very protective of you, but neither of you understood. I don't know whose decision it was, or whose idea it was, but you both decided to visit the village, only a few dozen miles from our home. Sigyn and I were frantic when we couldn't find you, and eventually went there – only to find Odin and the Einherjar there with you, waiting for us. Sigyn was stripped and bound for all to see, branded with my mark, as if it were such a disgrace that two women have a child – unlike on Midguard, procreation can happen in a variety of different ways to a variety of people. It was simply because she was _my_ consort that she suffered such a shaming."

"What did you do?" Vali asked, voice cracking.

"I tried to help, of course, but they held me back," Loki replied. "Odin had a fighting pit built, and threw you both inside. He said, whichever one made it out alive could live. But you were brothers, and nothing he said would force you to fight each other. So he cursed you."

" _Cursed_ me?" Vali's eyes went wide.

"You were the youngest. You didn't have enough control of your magic to defend yourself like Narfi would have been able to. Odin turned you into a wolf, and set you upon your brother. Narfi…" Loki's face twisted, eyes stinging, "Narfi was torn apart."

" _No!_ " Vali cried, sobbing, "No, I couldn't have, please, no!"

"I'm so sorry, Vali," Loki pulled him to her as he cried, tears running down their faces. "I'm so sorry…"

It took a while, before Vali talked again, sniffling. "What happened next?"

"Vali-"

"I want to know," he said, screwing his eyes shut, rubbing them, pushing off his glasses. Loki grasped them, folding them and setting them to the side.

"I will be fixing your eyesight soon," she murmured, before speaking in a hush, "After Narfi was dead, Odin dropped into the pit and opened you head to tail. With your entrails, he bound me to a rock, deep under Asgard, and enchanted a poisonous snake to drip venom onto me for a hundred years. Sigyn was the only one willing to help me. She would spare me the pain of the venom, filling bowl after bowl. After my punishment ended, we took solace in each other for a sparse few months, before Sigyn's father, an Ambassador to Alfheim, claimed her mind was unstable and returned her to her childhood home. I was not welcome there. She took her life a few centuries later, after hearing the news that Einmyria was gone, distressed on my behalf beyond belief."

Vali hiccupped, "Did you love her? Did she love you?"

"Very much. Very much so. Of all the fathers of my children, your mother was by far the one I loved most. None will ever compare to her, and what she did for me. I-" but finally, it was enough, and Loki let out a heart-wrenching _sob_ , louder and more grievous than any before it. She cried, falling apart, allowing herself to finally _let go._

Vali wrapped his arms around her, crying too, and soon both Eisa and James were slotting themselves around them, James' arms wrapping around them all as Eisa filled the remaining space between Loki and Vali.

"I miss her, I love her, I still love her, I want her back. Just _give her back_."

"You're gonna be okay, doll," James murmured, kissing her head, "She's at peace now, up in Heaven, or Valhalla, or wherever you Gods go when you pass. She's happy – she's looking down at you, happy you have your life together, that you're here, that you have all of _this_ after everything you've gone through." Loki sobbed again. "Just shh, darling. Let it all out. Shh…"

* * *

The thing with Loki is that she loves, and she loves hard. No matter how fleetingly she is with them, or how _destroying_ that person is to her, she loves them, unconditionally. Even after everything Odin has ever done, Loki still loves him. She hates him, he is not her father – she loves him. She feels too much, not too little.

Which is why she decides to stay with James.

Eisa already calls him daddy, Vali's getting there – she thinks, what does she have to lose? Elizabeth is under the impression they've been together since he returned from Norway, and while Loki doesn't want to tell her the truth about everything, Elizabeth is her friend, and Elizabeth gives _great_ advice. Like, really great advice. So if she hypothetically knew how 'Åsmund' was under witness protection after a job gone wrong for the Secret Service, and that he wasn't actually Vali's father, and anyone asked around, Elizabeth would claim she knew nothing.

"So, you're not sure how to tell him you want to stay together in a permanent fashion and potentially have a kid, but not get married or anything legal?"

"No more kids," Loki quickly corrects, "I don't want to lose another one." Elizabeth knows bits and pieces, like how her crap father forced her to give up a lot of her kids due to their 'ethnicity' that she now can't get back, and how she's lost a few more to childbirth and basically had a shit life in regards to kids, up until Vali and Eisa.

"That's something he'll respect," Elizabeth noted, "But you want him around?"

"I really do," Loki murmured, hands tightening around her mug as she sipped her tea. "I just don't really know how to approach him about it. We have a really good thing going. Vali's in boarding school, so he sends letters home – recently he's started sending letters to James, like he does to Eisa."

"That means like, every second week, right?" Loki nodded. "Awesome. Continue."

"Eisa has been calling him daddy since day one."

"Very good point in his favour."

"Yes – and the holiday we just had, finishing up our big tour of Europe, well, I had to help James' sister get out of a mess she'd found herself in, meaning I had to leave the kids with James while I literally hijacked an ambulance to get her to a hospital rather than a KGB bunker." She said bluntly. Elizabeth frowned, putting a finger up.

"Hypothetically, is this as a vigilante or as a Secret Servicewoman?"

"Hypothetically, I was an unknown to my friend's agency, but used my SS-ID to get around the police who came sniffing. Her people picked her up afterwards, so I didn't have to worry about any Russians."

Elizabeth hummed, sipping her tea, "Hypothetically, what would her agency be? Because you know, they'll track you down sooner or later if you did use your ID."

"Hypothetically? SHIELD." Loki raised an eyebrow as Elizabeth spluttered, choking on her tea. "Elizabeth, do you have something for me?"

"Hypothetically, my husband works as an IT-man for their off-shoot branch, SWORD. Loki, that's shit you do _not_ want to be mixed up with."

"I can handle myself, El, don't worry," Loki threw her a tea-towel to clean up the spilled liquid, before glancing over to the living room, where Eisa and Bran were watching TV. It was a new addition to their house, and Loki was only slightly regretting it – Netflix had been infamous on Asgard, because of Thor, and now Loki had discovered why having an application dedicated to archiving the thousands of television shows and movies that Earth had to offer, she was eagerly waiting its invention. Eisa herself was slightly obsessed with Disney, Lilo and Stitch the family favourite currently – Loki loved it too, and Vali found it 'nice'.

And James? Well, James had been there when the original movies came out – he was what Loki liked to call an 'original fan' of his works. The less said, the better.

"Eisa, TV time will be over soon, so we can have dinner," she warned, getting a nod, before Elizabeth looked ot the clock.

"Shit, is that the time? Bran, we have to go – Daddy said he was making dinner tonight." Loki wrinkled her nose, slightly jealous – Brian's cooking was amazingly delicious. Bran seemed to agree, hugging Eisa tightly, practically yelling goodbye as he went to get his shoes. Elizabeth finished the last of her tea, before coming around to kiss her on the cheek.

"Just tell him what you've told me. He'll understand, hopefully. If he doesn't, send him over to our house – your couch is too soft for someone being a dick."

"Thanks, El," Loki smiled, before walking her to the door, crouching down to fix the Velcro straps on Bran's shoes. "There you go."

"Thank-you, Eisa's mum," the brunette boy kissed her cheek wetly, before taking his mums hand. "Bye Eisa!"

"Bye Bran!" She called back, before Elizabeth nodded to Loki.

"See you tomorrow."

"Good day, Elizabeth." They left, Loki shutting the door after them before looking at the clock again. _James is at work_. He'd started working as a private martial-arts trainer at a gym a few blocks away the year before, after getting back from Europe the first time, but Loki knew his schedule. _Where is he? He should be back by now…_

A hoot caught her attention, drawing her eyes to the window where Hedwig sat. Going over, she opened it up, taking the letter from her leg.

"Thank-you. Would you like to hunt, or sit inside?" Hedwig hooted again, fluttering onto her wrist. Lifting her up, Loki took her over to the kitchen, setting her down on her stand before summoning some frozen mice, feeding them to her with levitation charms before opening up Vali's letter.

 _Mother,_

 _The twins you mentioned, Fred and George, came to me today to give me the Marauders Map. They gave it to me because the teachers won't let me go to Hogsmeade, despite how you signed the permission slip, because they think that Sirius Black is after me. I can't say they aren't wrong, but it wasn't fair. So I went, and then I saw the Minister of Magic in the pub there. I used my invisibility cloak, as well as the tricks you taught me, and managed to spy on them._

 _Sirius Black is my godfather, mother, and was the one to betray my mortal parents to Lord Voldemort._

Loki stilled, eyes suddenly scanning the paper. She could smell salt, and she gnashed her teeth as she saw tear-stains.

 _I'm upset. I need some time to figure this all out. Would you mind not coming to see me next week? More of this stuff keeps coming up. I'm going to be talking to Draco Malfoy about my family, see what he knows, and what – assumingly – the rest of the Wizarding World knows. Please don't be angry._

 _All my love,_

 _Vali._

Loki placed the letter down. Looked over to Eisa. "James, you'd better hurry the fuck up – I have a prisoner to catch."

* * *

Vali blinked at the sight of the hound on their sofa.

"Mum, when did we get a dog?"

"A few weeks ago," Loki replied airily. "I'm trying to figure out why, when I try searching for Sirius Black with my magic, I'm am led to it." Vali blinked.

"Well that's…weird."

"True, but I can't say I've not slightly fallen in love with the mangy mutt. Eisa likes him too, and he's very well behaved – James likes to take him out to the park a lot, too, so I don't have to worry about walking him, either."

"Sweet…" Vali dropped down onto the ground in front of him, burying a hand in the fur on top of his head. "What are we calling him?"

"Well, I liked the name _Mutt_ , but James insisted upon the much 'politer' name, Orion – he's got a tiny patch of grey fur in the shape of the constellation on his underside, apparently." Loki rolled her eyes, before looking back to where the Graham Norton Show was playing. Vali looked back to the hound, who seemed happy to see him. Scratching behind his ears, Vali moved to sit beside him, patting his lap. The hound moved onto him, and they sat down to watch the TV.

It was picture perfect.


	5. Chapter 5

"-went mad, out of nowhere!" Vali grunted, holding Orion's collar as he growled and barked. The red-haired boy across from them looked terrified, trying to hold onto his rat and – somehow – succeeding. "I don't know what's wrong with him!"

Loki frowned, before crouching in front of their pet, "Orion. Calm." She sent out a tendril of magic to calm him mind, not expecting the sudden barrage of memories that had overtaken the dog's mind, now pushing up against her barriers with a strength that Loki had only ever felt from Vali.

 _-a woman laughing, dancing with a dark-haired man in glasses with brown eyes-_

 _-holding a baby boy, crying, laughing, "Meet your godson, Padfoot-"_

 _-the red-haired woman again, shouting, angry, holding a giggling baby in one hand and a mini broomstick in the other, "Sirius Black!"_

 _-"You betrayed them! You sold them out to Voldemort, Peter, you_ _ **rat!**_ _"_

 _-cold, cold, dark, despair, dementors, James, Lily, Harry, oh_ _ **Harry**_ _-_

 _-"-Egypt. Not what I'd do with that much money in their situation." "Could I have it? I love the crossword."_

 _-Peter, Peter, alive, Weasley's, Ronald Weasley,_ _ **thirteen years old**_ _,_ _ **he's at Hogwarts**_ _, Harry, thirteen, nineteen ninety-three,_ _ **Harry's at Hogwarts**_ _,_ _ **Harry's in danger**_ _-_

 _-save him, Harry, Peter, kill him,_ _ **I'll kill him**_ _-_

 _-witch, sorceress, goddess, Harry, it's Harry, his name is Vali, why, why, Harry, Vali, dog, Orion, no it's Padfoot, alright, Orion then, dear Merlin Harry you're going to give me a heart-attack if you do that again-_

 _-Hogwarts, Loki, each weekend, if she would just take me there-_

 _-I'm here, I'm home, I'm home, Merlin James I miss you so much,_ _ **Remus!**_ _-_

 _-I've got to stay out of his way, he nearly caught me, he'll put me back, the dementors will get me, I don't want to go back-_

 _-_ _ **THERE! HE'S RIGHT THERE! HE'S RIGHT BLOODY THERE! I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL RIP HIM TO PIECES I'LL KILL THAT BLOODY RAT!**_ _-_

"Mum. Mum, what-"

Loki stood swiftly, going over to the Weasley boy. He stepped back at her approach, but Loki didn't care for his fear, grabbing at the rat in his hand, forcing her magic into him, dropping him to the ground as he regressed back into the traitor Sirius Black had been searching for. Vali let out a shocked gasp, and the Weasley boy let out a strangled cry of "Scabbers?!" before the students passing them by started screaming and shouting.

Only Loki's quick reaction stopped Padfoot from running up and mauling him, Vali having let go of his collar.

"I will deal with him, stop your struggles, _now_ ," she hissed to the man hiding as her dog. "The werewolf is coming. I am going to cause him and Pettigrew to look right past you if they see you, but dammit if your barking won't break the enchantment, so _hush_." He fell silent, and Loki looked to the rat-turned-wizard, who was trying and failing to turn back into his animal form. "Everyone, silent!" She shouted over the rabble, causing the students to fall quiet, before she let go of Orion's collar. _I cannot believe I did not figure out he was a shapeshifter_ , she thought in disgust, _especially when I am one myself_.

"You must help me," the man cried suddenly. Loki sneered at him, remembering _vividly_ how she had seen him on the Marauders Map in passing. She had always thought him to be a student, but that was obviously not true.

"Speak less," she ordered coldly, before going over to where the Weasley boy stood. He tried to backpeddle, but she took his wrist, putting her fingers to his head. He tried to get away, but she held him steady searching for anything out of the ordinary. What she found – or rather, didn't find – relieved her, shoulders dropping. _At least this man is no child-lover_. If he had done anything adverse – anything at all – Loki would have been drenched in guilt. She had been coming to this castle for years, both spending time with her son and securing the castle with wards and magic unfamiliar to their people. That she had not found a shapeshifter within their midst…Loki dropped her fingers from the boy's forehead, speaking to him squarely.

"For the past few years, you have been in possession of a man in the form of a rodent. It is with great relief I inform you that the most he has done to you in the time in which he has been with you, to my knowledge, is eat what food you deign not to consume. I would ask that you round up any siblings you have within this castle, and direct them to me at a later time today. I will be going to your home tonight to discuss this matter with your parents, and any other brothers and sisters you may have that are not here."

The wide-eyed boy nodded, fear filling his face. Loki looked around, locating a boy she had seen communicating regularly with the child, motioning him forward.

"Please take your friend to your common room, and make sure his brothers and sisters are informed." The boy nodded, coming forward to take the Weasley child's wrist.

"C'mon, Ron, let's go." Ron nodded shakily, pale, before disappearing up the Great Staircase. Loki turned back to Pettigrew, who was getting up slowly. A flick of her wrist sent him back to the ground, _where he belongs_ , Loki thought with a new sneer, before glancing at the doors to the Great Hall, where the professors had finally decided to appear.

"A shapeshifter, by the name of Peter Pettigrew," she announced, watching as the adults all seemed to suffer some form of shock, or blow. Even Snape seemed surprised. She focused on Professor Lupin, who stared, wide-eyed. "Professor Lupin, you should not get your hopes up. No innocent man hides for twelve years." She saw his confusion, and understood, watching as doubt started to form in his eyes.

Pettigrew though, spoke again, "Remus! My friend! You must help me, please! Sirius-" Padfoot growled as Loki cut him off.

"Enough. You will speak the truth, or it shall be forced from you. Why did you seek refuge with a family who you previously had no connection with? Why did you not seek out your dear _friend?_ Why did you hide at all?" Loki's eyes glinted, "It would be understandable if you hid after Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban – he's a mass-murderer, after all, and you were his friend. He might come to you, for help. But you didn't do that. To my knowledge, you are a dead man, killed by Sirius Black himself, alongside twelve mundanes."

"I was terrified, I had to make sure he wouldn't try finding me-"

"Yes, but why? Supposedly, _you_ were the one to face him, who gladly risked his life to get Sirius Orion Black into the custody of your officials after this Voldemort character was disposed of, temporarily."

"The Dark Lord-" but Loki was bored now. Waving her hand, his eyes rolled back in his head, before he fell asleep.

"Lady Loki, I do think that was quite unnecessary," Professor McGonagall blustered. Loki rolled her eyes before crouching down in front of the man, pushing up his right sleeve and frowning.

"If you are checking for what I think you are checking for, you should life his left sleeve, Lady Loki," Snape suddenly spoke, sounding suspicious, "though why you would check a Gryffindor for a Dark Mark is unknown to me."

"Left sleeve, I will keep that in mind," Loki murmured, before pushing up his left sleeve, not reacting as many people screamed at the sight of the moving tattoo. "I do hope there's a reason why you are not imprisoned then, Professor Snape."

"Severus was a spy for the light," Dumbledore answered, coming over and kneeling beside her, wand trailing up the Dark Mark, causing it to move and quite literally hiss at him. The Headmaster's face crumpled, full of despair. "Oh, Mr Pettigrew…what does this mean for Mr Black, I wonder?"

"Let us assume that until we know the truth, he is innocent of what crimes you accused him of. What is the Midguardian term? Innocent until…"

"Proven guilty," Dumbledore finished, before murmuring a spell that Loki immediately noted in the back of her mind, as ropes shot from his wand, winding themselves around Pettigrew tightly. Another spell had him glowing blue. "An enchantment to prevent the animagus transformation," he explained upon her curious look. "Perhaps you may benefit from owning spellbooks for our type of magic, Lady Loki."

"An animagus, is that what you call shapeshifting?"

Dumbledore gave a sad smile, "Shapeshifting is not a term we prefer to use, as there are several ways to transfigure a human body. An animagus is one who can connect and transform into the animal most suited to represent their soul. They only have one."

Loki frowned lightly. What he described… _Fenrir. That is what Fenrir was like_. She remembered the first time he transformed, barely minutes after he was born. Odin had been furious.

"Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore broke her out of her thoughts, the two of them both standing, "Please contact the Auror Office. Pomona, if you could direct the students back to their common rooms. Severus, please bring your freshest veritaserum to my office. Filius, if you could gather Bathsheba, and inspect the ward-stone – it seems the protections against keyed-in animagi has been sabotaged." Loki glanced at Orion as he let out a guilty whine, padding the floor, before looking to Professor Lupin, who similarly flushed.

"T'was Remus Lupin's friend who was an animagus," Loki drawled, "I doubt he had much time to learn outside of his school-years. Perhaps Lupin will be a welcome addition to those inspecting the wards." Her tone left no room for discussion on _why_ , but Dumbledore still chuckled amusedly.

"Perhaps. Remus, if you could accompany Filius and Bathsheba," he stood, brushing the knees of his robes. "Any remaining teachers, if you could please supervise the students in their common rooms, and patrol the corridors and grounds for any that have gone exploring. Lady Loki, if you would accompany me as guard for our guest?"

"Of course," she stood, brushing down her jeans as the teachers started, scattering. Then, flicking her wrist, Pettigrew was heaved up into the air, dangling by his ankles on an invisible rope. "Vali?"

"Yes, mum?"

"Take Orion, would you?" The dog whined, sniffing at her knees, but she looked down balefully at him and he sniffled, before padding over to Vali, who crouched down and scratched behind his ears. "Professor?" She turned back to the Headmaster, who nodded and held out his arm. Loki took it, before starting towards his office, hoping that Black would have the sense _not_ to turn back into human form.

After all, Vali always had a knife hidden somewhere.

* * *

"…so you _don't_ want me to reveal myself?" Sirius frowned. Loki, who was lying back on the sofa, throwing a knife into the air again and again, hummed in agreement. "And you want me to stay your pet, despite how I'm actually a wizard?"

"If ever Vali were to be attacked, he can hold his own, I am sure, but he is still not fully trained in the art of fighting with magic. You would be a welcome guard for him – one that he would not have any idea was there. You would stay 'Orion', and also, when not with Vali, you are with James and Eisa. Eisa and James have very specific enemies, ones that would love to take them away from this place and use them for their own ends. You have heard us talk of 'Hydra', yes?"

"Yeah," Sirius' frown deepened, "Psycho scientists and soldiers united under one banner."

"Indeed. James was once known as James Buchanan Barnes, or 'Bucky'. He was Captain America's best friend and right-hand man during the second World War, before he fell from a great height during a mission and was presumed dead, when in fact he was still very much alive, taken by this 'Hydra', and a Russian organisation known as the KGB."

"Captain America…" his brow furrowed, "Never heard of him."

"Learn," Loki instructed, before sitting up, stowing her knife away who knew where, "The point is, James escaped them. He is known as Åsmund Sawyer to those outside our family, and is my current romantic partner."

"I know. My hearing is very good," Sirius grinned, causing Loki to send him a look. "Yeah, overheard all your 'special' time together." He winked salaciously, laughing as she threw a pillow at his head. "Hey!"

"Enough," but she was grinning slightly too, "I'll put some special silencing wards up so you can't hear, next time."

"And to stop Eisa from being traumatised," he added. Loki sent him an insufferable look. "What? If I can hear it from the other side of the apartment, she's going to be able to hear it from next door."

Loki looked away uncomfortably, "Maybe you are right. I'll have to mention that to James…but in any case," she looked over again, "you will be my family's personal guard, without their knowledge. In their eyes, you are Orion, their very faithful, very intelligent hound."

"Groovy," he drawled, before leaning back in his armchair, "So, how's the Pettigrew Case going?"

"He has been interrogated and has admitted to being a Death Eater, and to telling Voldemort the location of the Potter family, but refuses to say if he blew up the street you faced him on. Therefore, they still believe you murdered twelve muggles, if with good but misguided intentions. The dementors have not been recalled." Sirius deflated.

"Does Harry- Vali, know?"

"I instructed Professor Lupin to tell him, and to explain how he knew you, Peter and your father. Similarly, Professor Snape has agreed to give Vali memories of his mother, and has informed me that Vali has an aunt in a woman named Petunia. I have met her before though, and have no wish for them to reconnect."

"Don't reintroduce him to Petunia," Sirius immediately warned, "She and Lily hated each other, or rather, she hated Lily. She wanted magic, wanted to be part of the world her sister was, but obviously she couldn't. Lily always wanted to be her friend again, for some reason, but Petunia was always a jealous bitch."

"Jealousy is always intricately entwined with regret," Loki replied, sounding conflicted, "I will keep your words and my own opinions of her in mind as I think on the matter. No doubt she does not miss him, but she can provide Vali with the closure he may need, despite their shared animosity. I won't be letting him see her until he is eighteen though, at the very least. She can do so much harm. Vali was so much different when I first took him in. I admit it was mostly because of her husband, but she encouraged it all. If she wants magic however…some barriers can be breached if done right, she _can_ be bought, and I know she does have a sliver of power within her. It may not be much, but it can be enough, for some small tricks at least…"

"Petunia's a squib, then?" Sirius questioned. Loki glanced at him, not knowing the definition of the word. "A squib's like the opposite of a muggleborn – muggle borne of magic, rather than magic borne of muggles. Some are completely void of magic, some only have enough to do small things, like get past anti-muggle charms. Sometimes parents of muggleborns are squibs, who weren't born with quite enough magic to be invited to a magic school, and some were squibs given up by magic families."

"The more I learn of the Wizarding World, the more enthralled I am," Loki muttered, curious as to what was 'enough'. Eisa had barely more magic than Petunia had, but with how Loki had raised her, encouraged both her and her magic, Eisa could use magic just as well as Harry could when she first started teaching him.

Maybe it was time to pay Petunia a visit, after all.

* * *

Loki tilted her head.

The kitten mewled, copying her.

"Come here," she muttered finally, crouching down and putting a hand out. The kitten mewled again, before padding over, climbing into her palm. Loki picked it up carefully, checking the gender before opening up her handbag, taking off her scarf and placing both it and the kitten inside. Looking around, she noted how, thankfully, no-one had noticed her stopping at the pile of rubbish, before standing and walking towards her flat.

She hoped Orion didn't mind looking after their newest resident.

* * *

 _Mum,_

 _What do you mean we now have a cat! What's her name?_

 _Vali_

* * *

"Loki! Your stupid cat is climbing on me again!" James cussed under his breath as her claws sunk into his arm. "Loki-"

"Don't you dare throw her again," Loki hissed at him, before turning her attention to the kitten, "Marcia, darling, come to mummy." She wrapped her long fingers around her middle, detaching her paws one by one, taking her off of James, who glared and grumbled, scratching at Orion's ears.

"Why did we have to get a cat, anyway?"

"I let you keep Orion!" She fired back. James snorted.

"I'm not sure if you remember, but _you_ were the one to take him in."

"You looked after him though," she replied, calling from the kitchen, "just like how I look after Marcia!"

"It's a devil-cat!" James shouted, before lifting Orion off his lap, setting him on the ground, "C'mon boy, we're going for a walk. Eisa, want to go to the park?"

"Yes!" Eisa jumped up from her place in front of the television. Loki let out a warning noise.

"James, it's raining."

"She'll wear her raincoat," he replied soundly, grabbing his own and tugging it on, "and it rains all the time here. Don't see why you're so fussed about it."

"I don't want Eisa to get a cold. The last one was bad enough."

"That was the flu, and she caught it from Bran." James crouched, buttoning Eisa's raincoat for her, pulling her hood up, before grabbing Orion's neon vest. "Do you want her to be a shut-in or something?"

"Unlike in Brooklyn, James, it's okay to be a shut-in in Britain, considering the weather!" Loki fired back, coming out of the kitchen, having set Marcia inside her cat-house, "And it was just a bad cold!"

"Lokes, my buddy Steve used to get all kinds of shit when he went out into the rain, I think I should know how to recognise the fucking flu!"

"Do not swear around my daughter!" She slapped the back of his head.

"I'll swear if I fucking like, Loki, and don't hit me."

"I don't want Eisa picking up that kind of language," Loki fumed as he finished buckling on Orion's vest, "Do you even know what time it is? It'll get dark soon."

"No it won't, it's only fucking five, and it's practically summer."

"In _Scotland_ , and it's _raining_. Rain, Scotland – you've been living here for nearly two years now, James, you should know by now that rain means it's going to be cold!"

"Which is why she's wearing a fucking _coat!_ " He hissed, glaring at her before grabbing his keys and opening the door, Eisa running out, padding down the stairs with Orion trailing after her. "We'll see you later." He left, slamming the door behind her, not giving her a chance to reply.

Loki swallowed, before a tiny meow caused her to turn, Marcia padding towards her. Sighing, the Goddess picked up the cat, kissing her nose.

"Am I a bad person for not wanting my child to become ill? Eisa is still so young…" Placing the cat on her shoulder, where she seemed to like to latch on, Loki went into her room, grabbing a blanket before going back to the living room, dropping down onto the couch, curling up, Marcia on her lap. Feeling emotionally drained in a way that was too much for that one fight, Loki used her magic to summon the television remote, changing the channel from CBeebies to BBC One, which was airing a rerun of one of the newer episodes of House of Cards.

For a while, she just watched TV, feeling out of sorts. _What is wrong with me?_ Her thoughts though were slow to come, strange seeing as her mind usually ran at a million miles a minute. But she shrugged it off, petting Marcia until she slipped into dreamland, only awakening when arms slipped under her knees and back, lifting her up.

"James?" She blinked sleepily.

"Fuck it all, I was an idiot," he muttered roughly, Brooklyn shining through more than ever, "She slipped on some mud and hit her face. The doc said her nose is broken."

"What?" Loki didn't understand, "What do you mean her nose is broken?"

"We'll talk about it in the morning, doll, you need to sleep. Orion – the stupid mutt – is in with Eisa, so I have to change her sheets and give him a wash. So much to fucking do…" He opened their bedroom door with his foot, going inside and setting her down. Loki rubbed her eyes with her hands, watching blearily as he grabbed some pyjamas for her.

"I'm sorry for getting a cat."

"I'm sorry for taking Eisa out when you said no."

"Is she okay?"

James shrugged, looking guilty, "She cried when she hit the ground, but by the time we got to an A and E, she was only sniffling. Didn't even make a sound when they reset her nose." Loki glanced at the clock. 10:39. "Orion had to wait outside the doors without being tied up though, 'cause I forgot his leash. Pro'ly only 'cause of his collar and jacket that he didn't get snatched."

"How long were you waiting?"

"An hour or two. Eisa slept most of the time. Tuckered out from running about. What did you do while we were gone?"

Loki shrugged, changing into the pyjamas, noting how Marcia wasn't hidden somewhere in her lap. "TV. Sleep. Spent time with the cat." She eyed him. "Do you want to get another dog?"

"Won't your landlord get pissy?"

" _Our_ landlord doesn't care, so long as they don't wreck the place," she eyed him amusedly, clearing her eyes of sand, "So you want to get another dog?"

He shrugged, "It'd give me something to do. In Fall, Eisa starts kindergarten-"

"Primary school."

"-Primary school, so she won't be around in the afternoons. You said you were thinking about, uh- more college?"

"I'm getting bored of languages," Loki said dismissively, "I've learnt the rest of Europe's listed languages in my spare time, as well as about fifteen different Asian languages. I was thinking of taking sciences. It's something they don't cover on Asgard – I'd have to work harder."

James chuckled, "You already work ten times harder than most do on college shit."

"Language," she reprimanded, before spreading her blanket from before over the bed, "You said Orion went into bed with Eisa, and that he needed a wash. I presume that means he's filthy."

"Yeah, I'd better go deal with that."

Turning back to him, Loki put a hand on his chest, leaning up to kiss him lightly, "Don't take too long, or all you'll get to do is cuddle my sleeping form. Is that an incentive enough to hurry up, Sergeant?"

James smirked, resting his hand low on her body, "Sure, sweet-cheeks. See you later." He kissed her, pressing his lips hard against her mouth before going, leaving Loki behind with a smile on her face, full moon shining through the open window.

 _We should fight more often_.

* * *

"Norns above," Loki pressed her eyes shut, hand over her mouth. "Must Fate always repeat itself?" Vali laid chest-down on the hospital bed, eyes closed with his cheek on the pillow, neck wrapped him thick bandages. He'd been outside the night before on a run around the Black Lake, the same night that Eisa had been out and broken her nose on, and so had Professor Lupin – he had been waylaid by numerous Aurors trying to ask him questions about how he knew Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black, and hadn't made it to the castle in time to both drink his Wolfsbane and get to the Shrieking Shack. By no fault of his own…

He'd bitten Vali.

 _A werewolf has bitten my son_.

Now, forever more, he would be forced to change under the full moon into a mindless beast so _very_ reminiscent of the wolf that Odin had cursed him to become in his past life. He would bear the scars of Lupin's bite for his entire life, for all to see unless he glamoured them. He would no longer be _human_. And despite her hatred of mortals, and their woeful state of being – so rushed, so hasty, so short and lengthy all at the same time – Loki fell apart at the concept of Vali, her son, losing what made him so very _more_. He could do impossible things, control impossible magic, yet he was human. He was mortal, mundane as they came. The son of a Goddess, worth so much despite his state of being.

He'd lost that.

Her son was a werewolf now.

James wouldn't understand the implications of that. Eisa would never understand what that meant to the society in which her brother held roots. Loki had raised her – _was_ raising her – without prejudice. The most prejudice thing she believed in was that Brooklyn always beat Bronx, something Loki only understood second-hand – James, with Loki, had instilled values in her that Loki only understood after Elizabeth gave an explanation, given an example, though sometimes Elizabeth just shook her head and wrinkled her nose and muttered about _Americans_.

Eisa and James wouldn't realise what Vali would go through in his school, his world, from this day forward. People would look at him in distain, in fear. If he was lucky, people would re-evaluate their opinions of werewolves, but Loki didn't believe in luck, only fate. And while Vali's fate was practically determined…

"He's the _'Boy-Who-Lived_ '," Loki heard a healer whisper sadly at the doorway, watching them with her co-worker. "The Prophet's going to be fuelled for weeks yet with this. Lupin will be lucky if he isn't killed, or the Auror Office attacked."

"They were just doing their jobs," her friend argued, "though I can see why questioning a werewolf on full moon and keeping them until practically sundown is stupid. Really, they should be more aware."

"Yeah…when did Healer Everett say to wake him up?"

"Five minutes."

 _Five minutes_ , Loki thought, shutting her eyes. _Five minutes until I have to tell him that his life is changed forever._

* * *

 ** _En fin._**

 ** _À poursuivre en ' I Get A Little Bit Bigger'._**


End file.
